{"id":7993,"date":"2016-06-21T20:00:49","date_gmt":"2016-06-21T20:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/globalpress.hinduismnow.org?p=7990&preview_id=7990"},"modified":"2016-06-21T20:00:49","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T20:00:49","slug":"without-identity-hindu-migrants-from-pakistan-live-on-hope-rn-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/?p=7993","title":{"rendered":"Without identity: Hindu migrants from Pakistan live on hope – RN Times"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

New Delhi, June 21 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0In a settlement of 30 rickety huts near Majnu ka Tilla in north Delhi, Hindu refugees from Pakistan are waiting for a change. And that change is possible when they receive the Aadhaar cards as has been promised by the Narendra Modi government.<\/p>\n

\"Pakistani
Pakistani Hindus at Majnu ka Teela<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ran Singh is one among these 400 refugees and has been hoping that once the Aadhaar cards are issued to them, the displaced families can apply for jobs and have access to\u00a0education and other facilities like any other Indian citizen.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy 14-year-old son works as a helper. He earns about Rs 100 every day. I don\u2019t have money to fund his education or help him in setting up a small business,\u201d Singh\u00a0told.<\/p>\n

He says life was \u201cdreadful\u201d in Pakistan where they faced discrimination. So they left everything behind to migrate to India \u201cin search of safety and dignity\u201d. However, after the family reached Delhi in 2011, life hasn\u2019t been easy as they had imagined. It\u2019s \u201cnot a paradise\u201d they had hoped for.<\/p>\n

Without the work permit, bank account and ration card, Ran and his family \u2014 like other migrants from Pakistan \u2014 have been leading a tough life in Delhi.<\/p>\n

None of these migrants has any stable income. Many among them eke out a living by selling vegetables and other goods. However, they alleged that the local administration has been hostile. \u201cThe pushcarts we take out to sell vegetables are often confiscated,\u201d said Dayal Das, a migrant. \u201cThe police and the MCD officials say that we do not have the permit to carry out any trade,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Mahadev Advani, an elderly migrant from Pakistan, shared a similar experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWherever we go to look for a job or to seek admission in schools for our children, they ask for documents which we don\u2019t have. So we have to rely on odd jobs. Our children don\u2019t get educated. There seems to be no hope for us and our children,\u201d Advani said.<\/p>\n

Unemployment has had its effect on other aspects too. The living condition of these hapless migrants is pathetic. They live in huts made of bamboo that are not good enough to protect them from the elements of nature. They don\u2019t have access to clean water, except a water tank built by the civic body.<\/p>\n

But with the Modi government announcing that the Hindu migrants would be issued Aadhaar card, PAN card, ration card and other documents, the residents of this refugee settlement are hopeful.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least the government is now thinking about us. I hope that once we get the documents, our problems would be gradually solved,\u201d said Sona Das who had migrated from Pakistan\u00a0in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur lives would be saved if we are allowed to work here, our children have access to\u00a0education and the local authorities stop being hostile,\u201d Sona added.<\/p>\n

Similar confidence is echoed by other migrants who also believe that their plight may come to an end if they are allotted some land along the Yamuna river.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are farmers and we know how to make the best use of fertile land. We left it all inPakistan. But this is our home now and we would turn this land into gold. Just give us that chance,\u201d asserted Dayal.<\/p>\n

It is this hope for a chance that has enthused the youngsters as well. Like Bharat Kumar, a teenager, who wants to join the Indian Army.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to join the Army and serve India. This land is my land and I will do everything to defend it,\u201d he said. \u201cAll I need is a chance to educate myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

So despite harsh realities hurting them now, the migrants are waiting for that opportunity to contribute to a growth story. Aadhaar card would be the beginning.<\/p>\n

By Anand Singh<\/strong>
\n(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source: Without identity: Hindu migrants from Pakistan live on hope \u2013 RN Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Delhi, June 21 \u2013\u00a0In a settlement of 30 rickety huts near Majnu ka Tilla in north Delhi, Hindu refugees from Pakistan are waiting for a change. And that change is possible when they receive the Aadhaar cards as has been promised by the Narendra Modi government. Pakistani Hindus at Majnu ka Teela Ran Singh […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[15,17],"tags":[1152,1203,109],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7993"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7993\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}