Amid the news of migration of Hindus from Pakistan due to so called persecution on religious ground, the Rajasthan government has initiated a process to grant Indian citizenship to 919 such Pakistani Hindus. The administration in Jodhpur has asked the Pakistani Hindus, who migrated to India before December 31, 2004, to submit relevant documents and details in this regard.
“As per our record, these 919 Pakistani Hindu nationals have completed seven years of their stay in India, the basic eligibility to apply for citizenship, says additional magistrate (city) of Jodhpur Rajendra Singh Rathore. “We have asked them to follow the procedure and if they fulfil all conditions, including fees, they will be granted citizenship,” he added.
Meanwhile, Seemant Lok Sangthan, spearheading a campaign for these Hindu minority of Pakistan, said it was not enough. “The move is delayed, but we welcome it,” said SLS president Hindu Singh Sodha. “It is not fair to exclude other people. The government should expand the criteria and include other migrant Hindus also,” he added.
“According to our information, there are 7,000 Pakistani Hindus in Rajasthan, who came from Pakistan on valid travel papers and refused to return,” Mr Sodha said.
The Pakistani Hindus need to pay a fee ranging between `3,000 and `20,000 per person to apply for the citizenship. “It is beyond their capacity and they will not be able to bear such high fees because they are most persecuted and exploited minority of Indian sub-continent,” says Mr Sodha.
“Earlier it was between `100 and `2,200, but now it has been increased to the level that none of migrant Hindus would be able to manage it,” Mr Sodha said.