Hindu migrants with their expired Pakistani passports in Sirsa district

ELLENABAD (SIRSA): It’s been a long struggle for Hindu migrants from Pakistan , living ‘illegally’ in Ellenabad town of Haryana’s Sirsa district for over 26 years, to find acceptance.

These families, forced to migrate from Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan areas of Pakistan’s Punjab province due to attacks on them after the Babri demolition in 1992, have been living a hopeless life without access to basic documentation that would get them access to basic human rights — education, health and jobs.

In Haryana, these migrants live in Neemla, Mameran, Hobli, Haripura and Ellenabad. Some 65 families migrated on short-term visas to India in 1992-96 and their number is now over 250. They have no votes as they are not Indian citizens yet.

“No vote means no politician is interested in helping us,” they say and highlight how their applications for long-term visas have not been approved. This approval would pave the way for their Indian citizenship as the condition of a valid passport has already been waived by the ministry of home affairs.

An emotional Daaram Ram, who passed Class XII but could not study ahead because of economic difficulties, says singer Adnan Sami was given citizenship by India due to his clout, but they have been deprived despite having a strong case.

With the BJP coming to power at the Centre and in Haryana in 2014, these migrants felt optimistic about their rehabilitation. Especially, as Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar too had left Pakistan for India, at the time of Partition.

‘Nothing has changed in the last five years’

“When Modi-led BJP government came to power in 2014, we thought they would understand our pain and help us to get rid of this ‘Pakistani tag’,” say a group of Pakistani migrants gathered in this corner of Sirsa. “Nothing has changed in the past five years,” they lament.

These Pakistani Hindus are struggling with the pain of not finding acceptance in India. “When we were in Pakistan, people used to question our integrity towards Pakistan because of our religion. Even after living in India, for decades we are seen with suspicion for being ‘Pakistani,’” says Bhiya Ram, 32, who works at an embroidery shop in Ellenabad.

Daaram, who was six when he fled to India with his parents, still remembers how his father was beaten up in Pakistan when he cheered for Sachin Tendulkar while watching an India-Pakistan cricket match on television.

Popularly known as ‘Pakistanis’ in Ellenabad, these families have been forced to earn livelihood by crafting traditional leather shoes, tailoring or embroidery work. Lack of documentation means they have to accept abysmally low payment for their intricate craft work.

“We had high hopes when Modi became PM and hoped he would understand our plight and resolve our issue. Despite the Sirsa administration sending a police clearance report two years back, nothing has been done by the MHA to grant us long-term visas — a pre-condition to get citizenship,” says Jai Ram, who crafts leather ‘juttis’.

Even Khattar has been of no help, says 35-year-old Surta Ram. “Despite submitting a request to CM window on April 3, 2018, we got no response. It is really good to see those who migrated from Pakistan in 1947 doing great in politics, bureaucracy or business. We were also forced to leave in similar circumstances but now need to get rid of the Pakistani tag,” he added.

