Author: Shri Pawan Kumar
Bansal, Kahnayr
Publications: The Indian
Express
Date: November 22, 2000
Another Group of Hindu
migrants from Pakistan have landed in Rohtak this week, apparently having
fled due to religious persecution. The seven-member Hindu family
from Pakistan reached this village on Sunday. Officially, they are
said to be visiting their relatives, but indications are they will stay
put.
Their relative Chander
Bhan told The Indian Express that they will not go back to Pakistan as
they were being persecuted by fundamentalists there. Wasia Ram alongwith
his wife Sameena and five children - Bano, Farmaya, Arjun, Sabana and Sarjan
Chand - are staying with Chander Bhan. Wasia Ram's relatives migrated
to India at the time of partition.
Earlier, a group of 35
Hindus lead by one Sidhu Ram had come on a month' s visa to meet their
relatives living in this village. Though their visa expired on October
7, they continue to stay on and have applied for extension of their visas.
Rohtak Superintendent
of Police P K Agarwal has sent their application for an extension of visa
to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Haryana Government.
Wasia Ram and his family
members on Monday submitted their documents in the office of the Superintendent
of Police, Rohtak. The Rohtak range Inspector General of Police Resham
Singh said that a strict watch was being kept on their activities.
Wasia Ram has come from Layya district Gajipur division of Pakistan.
The earlier group too
had come from Layya district. The man, who led the earlier group,
Sidhu Ram (70) had claimed they they had left Pakistan as they were being
forced to convert to Islam. Wasia Ram said that a large number of
Hindus in Layya district had converted to Islam. A year ago, several
Hindus from Pakistan "had come to meet their relatives" in Ellanabad in
Sirsa district but have not returned. They too alleged that they
were being persecuted in Pakistan.
The All India Bajrang
Dal chief Surinder Jain said that had requested Union Minister of State
for Home I D Swami to grant Indian citizenship to all Hindus from Pakistan
who are currently living in Rohtak and Sirsa districts. Surinder
Jain claimed Swami had assured him that the demand for grant of Indian
Citizenship had been accepted and instructions were being issued to the
authorities to complete the formalities.
Sidhu Ram, head of the
earlier group, had said that their problems increased after the demolition
of the Babri Masjid. Sidhu Ram and other members of the group living
in the village with their relatives now work as labourers. They are
hopeful their visas will be extended. Last month Shiv Sena activists
had submitted a memorandum to L K Advani on the issue.
