Seeking refugee status in India, Pakistani Hindus on Friday took out a procession in Jaipur and protested outside the state Assembly. “We came from far-flung areas of the state to raise our voices. We seek Indian citizenship,” says Hindu Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangthan (SLS), while addressing the gathering.
The Hindus from Pakistan took to the streets in Jaipur and shouted slogans like “Hum musibat ke maare hai, Bharat ke sahare hai”. The Pakistan Hindus, carrying placards and banners marched from Sahkar Bhavan to the state Assembly and started a sit-in protest. “It is so painful to see the government doing nothing for us. These Hindus are the most persecuted section of the Indian sub-continent,” said Mr Sodha.
The SLS is spearheading a campaign for the Hindu minority of Pakistan and demanded that all the Hindus who migrated from Pakistan should be granted Indian citizenship. “We also seek a new fee structure, because the present fees are so high and none of the Hindus are able to pay that,” Mr Sodha said. The SLS also demanded that the eligibility period for Indian nationality should be reduced to five years from the present seven years.