Pakistani Hindus

[Nahraf]

Dead Hindus finally find a place in Pakistan - World - DNA

Dead Hindus finally find a place in Pakistan
Published: Monday, Aug 9, 2010, 2:00 IST
By Amir Mir | Place: ISLAMABAD | Agency: DNA

The body of Radha, 62, who died in Lahore in June 2006, had to be kept in a mortuary for five days due to the absence of a cremation ground for Hindus in Pakistan. She was laid to rest in the Miani Sahib’s graveyard for the Muslims as a last resort. The case generated a hue and cry in Pakistan over the lack of cremation grounds, which would allow Hindus to conduct the last rites of their loved ones as per religion.

The Pakistani government has now approved a plan to set up a cremation ground, sprawling over 36 kanals of land, for the Hindus near the Babu Sabu Chowk, close to the Ravi river.The land has been divided into two — for Sikhs and Hindus.

“There are walls on all four sides. It has toilets, a water tank and a water pumping motor,” Munawar Chand, general secretary of the NGO Pakistan Balmik Sabha, said. “My mother was cremated there last year. We are thankful to the Pakistan government to have accepted our demands at last.”

Dr Ram Chand said the availability of a cremation ground for Hindus was essential. “Though they are a minority community here, cremation rituals are part of their religious beliefs. Our leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah had assured every person who chose to live in Pakistan that they shall be free to practice their religion,” he said.

Since Independence, Hindu welfare communities like the Pakistan Balmik Sabha and the Hindu Balmik Sudhar Sabha had begun efforts to raise funds for a cremation ground for the community in Lahore.They succeeded in 1976 when the Evacuee Property Trust allotted an area on Bund Road. But the property turned out to be disputed.

 

[Nahraf]

Pakistani Hindus in India unwilling to return


Plight of Pakistani Hindus staying in Punjab
Pakistani Hindus in India unwilling to return
Rajesh Deol in Chandigarh

Many Hindu families which migrated from India are facing a piquant situation as the government has stopped extending their visas

Hindu migrants from Pakistan in Jalandhar show their Pakistani passports. Photo by Anil Sharma
Eighteen years after the Babri Masjid demolition at Ayodhya triggered migration of Pakistan-based Hindus to India, over 1000 families of Hindus settled in Punjab continue to live illegally, banking on Indian benevolence for guests. They do not want to go back and are now demanding either citizenship or visa extension. Settled in various parts of
Punjab, including Amritsar, Jalandhar and Rajpura, their stay in India is illegal since 2004 when the government stopped granting visa extension to these migrant families.

“We know that our stay is illegal, but we do not want to go back to Pakistan” says 70-year old Mulakh Raj. He has been living in Jalandhar with his wife and eight children since 1997 after migrating from Sialkot in Pakistan.

“There is nothing left for us in Pakistan. We feel safe and have a more dignified life in India,” he says.

Most of the families say they had decided to settle down in India as they felt insecure in Pakistan. “Hindus in Pakistan particularly felt vulnerable after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. We felt very insecure as there was a spate of attacks on our religious places,” says Sardari Lal.

Buaditta Mal, who has come from Sialkot, says, “People at our native place make fun of us and interfere in our religious congregations. They even throw away idols of gods and goddesses. If we protest, they beat us up.”

Pakistani Hindus have often complained of destruction of their religious places, forced conversions and abduction of girls for forced betrothal to Muslim men. There are an estimated 25 lakh Hindus living in Pakistan according to the 1998 census which is about 2.5 per cent of that country's total population. Life is not easy for these migrants in India, though. The families face difficulties in procuring driving licence or opening bank accounts for lack of any identity.

“We are in no man’s land. We have Pakistani passports but we prefer to live in
India. But despite several appeals to the Union government, India has not granted us citizenship,” says Sardari Lal.

Sammakh Ram came from Peshawar in 1998 and settled at Jalandhar along with his family members. “You cannot imagine the plight of minorities in Pakistan. They have no rights. We will never return,” he says emphatically. Many of the migrants
allege that they are asked by the Pakistani authorities to spy for them against India.

The Punjab unit of the BJP has now taken cudgels to fight for granting citizenship status to these migrants. The party has constituted a three-member committee to take up the plight of these families with the Central government.

BJP MP Avinash Rai Khanna says the committee would prepare lists of all such Hindu migrant families living in Punjab with the help of legislators from respective areas. He says several Hindu families had been forced to convert in Pakistan.

A senior BJP minister in the Akali-BJP government, Laxmikanta Chawla has written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh urging the Centre government to provide full protection and citizenship to Hindu and Sikh migrants from Pakistan. “Since the Pakistan government has failed to protect the minorities from frequent atrocities, the Indian government needs to look after them,” she said in the letter.

 

[Nahraf]

'Why no action against Hindu aliens from Pak?' - Nagpur - City - The Times of India

'Why no action against Hindu aliens from Pak?'
Soumittra S Bose, TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 06.47am IST

NAGPUR: A couple of days after the rounding up of 37 suspected illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by the city unit of state anti-terrorist squad (ATS), the resentment felt by residents of Mominpura poured over in words.

Raising question over integrity of the authorities, the residents pointed out that several Hindu immigrants from Pakistan, also living in city without proper visa or papers, seldom face action. A local trader pointed out that the arrested persons, held for allegedly staying in India without valid documents, were mere alms-seekers or menial workers.

He said that many of them come every year from faraway villages of Bangladesh as well as West Bengal during the month of Ramzan. "May be the persons rounded up were actually Bangladeshis. Police should also take action against the ones who come from Pakistan. Why target poor beggars and daily wage earners from a particular community?" asked the trader who grew up in Mominpura locality of the city.

ATS squads, raiding almost half-a-dozen places, had rounded up several persons but finally placed 28 of them under arrests. The ones released by them were possessing valid documents. Sources from Mominpura claimed that at least 20 of them were Indians from a remote village in West Bengal.

The well-read trader claimed that several Hindu immigrants from Pakistan are overstaying in India violating the norms prescribed in documents. "While one set of illegal aliens is flourishing, another is being targeted. If the illegal Bangladeshi can be aterrorist, so can be a Pakistani," he said. A PCO owner pointed out that several immigrants from Pakistan, settled in Jaripatka, have an influential presence in city.

"They have purchased properties in prime locations and expanded their business. Do the police not know of them?" he asked. "They seem to have purchased the integrity of the officials who were supposed to challenge them," he added underlining the bias that exists in the system against Muslims.

A cycle repair shop owner from Kabrastan road claimed that he would take up the cases of 20 accused to prove the ATS's claim as false. "We have already received the valid documents of 11 persons from Murshidabad in West Bengal. Some original documents have been submitted too," he said.

He added that the persons rounded up were poor labourers. Citing security reasons and socio-religious issues, several Pakistani visitors, mostly Hindus and Sikhs, do not return despite having technical inconsistencies in their documents. Sources in security agencies claimed that such Pakistani residents, seeking Indian citizenship, often face hardship meeting criteria with several of their documents either having expired or incomplete. Recent relaxations in Passport Act may allow a large section of such immigrants to settle their legal issues, TOI has learnt.

Read more: 'Why no action against Hindu aliens from Pak?' - Nagpur - City - The Times of India 'Why no action against Hindu aliens from Pak?' - Nagpur - City - The Times of India

 

[banned]

The cremation facilities show not be old style wooden pyre but should be a high tech facility with cremation oven. Disgusts me to think how body of human can be reduced down to ashes.

It is funny how Indian extremist actions are turning into trouble for their own co-religionist across the border. Perhaps now they feel the brunt.

We have to beware from India against playing minority card and creating another 1971 like situation. We better cancel identities of these hindus as their loyality now is suspecious.

 

[scrumpy]

The cremation facilities show not be old style wooden pyre but should be a high tech facility with cremation oven. Disgusts me to think how body of human can be reduced down to ashes.

How would it be any different from a body ******* under ground with or without a coffin?

It is funny how Indian extremist actions are turning into trouble for their own co-religionist across the border. Perhaps now they feel the brunt.

Are you justifying the injustices that these guys had to go through?

Why shouldn't these guys be granted asylum here? Isn't there are standard UN defined procedure for this?

 

[InPhilTraitor]

'Why no action against Hindu aliens from Pak?' - Nagpur - City - The Times of India

'Why no action against Hindu aliens from Pak?'
Soumittra S Bose, TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 06.47am IST

NAGPUR: A couple of days after the rounding up of 37 suspected illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by the city unit of state anti-terrorist squad (ATS), the resentment felt by residents of Mominpura poured over in words.

Raising question over integrity of the authorities, the residents pointed out that several Hindu immigrants from Pakistan, also living in city without proper visa or papers, seldom face action. A local trader pointed out that the arrested persons, held for allegedly staying in India without valid documents, were mere alms-seekers or menial workers.

He said that many of them come every year from faraway villages of Bangladesh as well as West Bengal during the month of Ramzan. "May be the persons rounded up were actually Bangladeshis. Police should also take action against the ones who come from Pakistan. Why target poor beggars and daily wage earners from a particular community?" asked the trader who grew up in Mominpura locality of the city.

ATS squads, raiding almost half-a-dozen places, had rounded up several persons but finally placed 28 of them under arrests. The ones released by them were possessing valid documents. Sources from Mominpura claimed that at least 20 of them were Indians from a remote village in West Bengal.

The well-read trader claimed that several Hindu immigrants from Pakistan are overstaying in India violating the norms prescribed in documents. "While one set of illegal aliens is flourishing, another is being targeted. If the illegal Bangladeshi can be aterrorist, so can be a Pakistani," he said. A PCO owner pointed out that several immigrants from Pakistan, settled in Jaripatka, have an influential presence in city.

"They have purchased properties in prime locations and expanded their business. Do the police not know of them?" he asked. "They seem to have purchased the integrity of the officials who were supposed to challenge them," he added underlining the bias that exists in the system against Muslims.

A cycle repair shop owner from Kabrastan road claimed that he would take up the cases of 20 accused to prove the ATS's claim as false. "We have already received the valid documents of 11 persons from Murshidabad in West Bengal. Some original documents have been submitted too," he said.

He added that the persons rounded up were poor labourers. Citing security reasons and socio-religious issues, several Pakistani visitors, mostly Hindus and Sikhs, do not return despite having technical inconsistencies in their documents. Sources in security agencies claimed that such Pakistani residents, seeking Indian citizenship, often face hardship meeting criteria with several of their documents either having expired or incomplete. Recent relaxations in Passport Act may allow a large section of such immigrants to settle their legal issues, TOI has learnt.

Read more: 'Why no action against Hindu aliens from Pak?' - Nagpur - City - The Times of India 'Why no action against Hindu aliens from Pak?' - Nagpur - City - The Times of India

The Bangladeshis are economic immigrants, the Pakistanis are Political refugees. If we send them back to Pakistan, you never know what will happen to them, but Bangla muslims who will be deported are unlikely to be maimed to death because of their religion in their homeland.

Yes, both are illegal Indian government should man up have a better policy of dealing with things. No developed country treats economic immigrants same as political refugees, India should follow that path.

 

[rohailmalhi]

The Bangladeshis are economic immigrants, the Pakistanis are Political refugees. If we send them back to Pakistan, you never know what will happen to them, but Bangla muslims who will be deported are unlikely to be maimed to death because of their religion in their homeland.

Yes, both are illegal Indian government should man up have a better policy of dealing with things. No developed country treats economic immigrants same as political refugees, India should follow that path.

U know we kill Pakistani hindus every day . Just like u killed thousand in Gujrat ...........................................

Cum on man Get life and try not troll coz it will lead the thread to no where ......

 

[InPhilTraitor]

U know we kill Pakistani hindus every day . Just like u killed thousand in Gujrat ...........................................

Cum on man Get life and try not troll coz it will lead the thread to no where ......

you are the one trolling, I did not say Pakistani government is going after the Hindus.. Bangla Muslims come to India as economic immigrants, but Pakistani hindus are political refugees. I said, "I do not know what will happen to them", I did not allege any thing, you are making you own conclusions and putting words in to my mouth.

may be you can explain why these guys are here, esp. when they are alleging they have nothing left in their home, and allege lack of dignity. The allegations are by the people in article.

 

[Dance]

Can you post non-indian sources? We all know how they like to twist information when it comes to Pakistan.

Which makes them totally unreliable when it comes anything that deals with Pakistan.

IF all this is true, then thats a shame. These people are just as Pakistani as muslims are and we should learn to respect them and their religion.

 

[eric_cartman]

The cremation facilities show not be old style wooden pyre but should be a high tech facility with cremation oven. Disgusts me to think how body of human can be reduced down to ashes.

It is funny how Indian extremist actions are turning into trouble for their own co-religionist across the border. Perhaps now they feel the brunt.

We have to beware from India against playing minority card and creating another 1971 like situation. We better cancel identities of these hindus as their loyality now is suspecious.

Sir with all due respect, this all trouble against minorities started when Gen Zia Ul Haq came into power, minorities were treated badly since then.

You should watch the movie "Kamosh pani/ Silent waters" it portrays such thinking.

 

[RobbieS]

Did Hindus in Pakistan have no designated cremation ground before this time? Can a resident Pakistani confirm this?

 

[Nahraf]

Did Hindus in Pakistan have no designated cremation ground before this time? Can a resident Pakistani confirm this?

Yes they are Shamshan Ghats(cremation grounds) where there are significant population of Hindus and Sikhs. Over 90% of Pakistani Hindus are concentrated in Sindh province and they have temples and Shamshan Ghats. In Karachi there are temples and cremation ground as in some other cities/towns/villages in Sindh. In Punjab region of Pakistan and India the exchange of Muslims and Hindus/Sikhs was nearly complete so both communities lost most of their facilities. All Hindu Mandirs and Sikh Gurdwars in Pakistan are under protection of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB). Many Shamshan Ghats were settled/occupied by people in many areas of Punjab province of Pakistan since there were no Hindus/Sikhs in the area. The lack of cremation ground is in Lahore since all Hindus/Sikhs crossed the border which is only 30 miles away.

 

[somebozo]

We should write and article about thousand of indian dalit hindus settled illegaly in Karachi to escape state persecution of India.

 

[JonAsad]

Lets stage a mass murder of Hindu minorities, burn them alive, kill them in thousand then it will be fair to take critisim specially from indian members.
Other wise i dont know Pakistan ko critisize kenay k liye konsa mun lay k atay hein indians.

On topic:

Hindus are minorities in Pakistan, they do suffer which is unfair, but that is not some extraordinary out of this world thing happening to them, i am not justifying this discrimination in any sense. I am sure they feel proud to be a hindu and Pakistani. Reciprocal will have them burned alive, killed in thousands and the killer will be the Chief Minister of that Indian state since 7 October, 2001, which makes him the longest serving Chief Minister of that state, still living and Proud of what he did.

Pakistan dont have much dedicated cremation ground for hindus after they die naturally, but in India they have alot of dedicated graveyards for Muslims to kill them and burry them.

 

[humanfirst]

Lets stage a mass murder of Hindu minorities, burn them alive, kill them in thousand then it will be fair to take critisim specially from indian members.
Other wise i dont know Pakistan ko critisize kenay k liye konsa mun lay k atay hein indians.

On topic:

Hindus are minorities in Pakistan, they do suffer which is unfair, but that is not some extraordinary out of this world thing happening to them, i am not justifying this discrimination in any sense. I am sure they feel proud to be a hindu and Pakistani. Reciprocal will have them burned alive, killed in thousands and the killer will be the Chief Minister of that Indian state since 7 October, 2001, which makes him the longest serving Chief Minister of that state, still living and Proud of what he did.

Pakistan dont have much dedicated cremation ground for hindus after they die naturally, but in India they have alot of dedicated graveyards for Muslims to kill them and burry them.

India have thousands of graves for muslims and more than 300000 active mosques.population Of muslims have risen significantly unlike pakistan where it is exact opposite,thanks to slow ethnic cleansing.And about gujrat riots,99%of indians will agree that it was a shame on us but pray tell me with honesty,what will happen in pakistan if a train full of muslim pilgrims are burned alive by a hindu mob?please think about it.You talk as if we muslims and hindus in india fight and kill each other daily(like pakistani muslims do almost a daily basis)Ever heard of akshardam temple incident?was a single muslim killed after that incident?(honestly think what will happen in pakistan if some hindus come and fire at people praying at mosque)Same about various bomb blasts by islamist groups in 2005,2006 and 2007,was a single muslim killed after that?Using gujrat riots as justification for anti minority incidents taking place every month does not work anymore(check out threads about 4-5 anti minority incidents in last two months,in every single thread gujrat riot is the moral justification by some pakistanis!)