A group of nine Pakistani Hindus, who have migrated to India and reached Jodhpur on Friday, became part of a large number of Pakistani Hindus living in Jodhpur without Indian citizenship.
‘’We will not go back at any cost, we fear for our lives and safety in Pakistan,” said Arjun, who moved to India from Sindh with eight of his family members. The process of Hindu minority members migrating to India has been continuing for years and every week the Thar Express brings several Pakistan Hindus to India.
There are over 5,000 such Pakistani Hindus residing in Jodhpur, said a senior police officer.
According to police sources, since January to March 2012, 333 Pakistani Hindus came to Jodhpur and only 132 returned to Paksitan. The rest decided to renounce their Pakistani citizenship and stay permanently in India.
The Seemant Lok Sangthan (SLS), however, claimed over 7,000 such Pakistani Hindus have been living in Jodhpur and its neighbouring districts in the desert region.
“We are raising our voice to grant these Paksitani Hindus citizenship of India. The last time India granted its citizenship to 13,000 Pakistani Hindus was in 2005, but after that no such move has made since,” said SLS president Hindu Singh Sodha, who is spearheading a campaign for Pakistani Hindus. The Hindu Pakistanis said for minority groups, life in Pakistan is worse than death. The 35-year-old Tija Bai came only two weeks ago to India with her six children. But her husband was not lucky enough to get a visa. “We have no option except to move to India,” said Tija.
Most of the Hindus who migrated from Pakistan belong to the lower strata of society, including dalits or tribal Bheels.
“After the rise of radial Islamic groups, Pakistani Hindus made a beeline to migrate to India or they face forced conversion and kidnapping,” Mr Sodha said.