Hindu Population in Danger

Pakistani Hindu Refugees Stage Demonstration outside UN Office on Rights Day.

  Over a hundred Hindu refugees from Pakistan held a protest outside the office of United Nations (UN) here on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.

They submitted a memorandum addressed to UN Secretary General Ban-ki-Moon at the United Nations information centre demanding Indian citizenship to refugees. Protestors said that para-military religious terrorist outfits in Sindh have been harassing and terrorising Hindus.

The trail of harassment, murder, abduction, kidnapping of girls and their forced conversion as well as un-consensual marriages with the Muslims backed by the security establishment.

 Such a situation is resulting in a gradual exodus of Sindhi Hindus from their historical and indigenous land – Sindh, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, said Khemu Kalani (name changed), one of the protestors who along with 114 other Hindus came from Sindh province of Pakistan on a tourist visa to India via Rajasthan.“These crimes committed against Hindus fall in the category of crimes against humanity and violation of various United Nations covenants, conventions, treaties, resolutions and instruments, particularly of the Article II, III, and IV of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” said Swami Om of the Hindu Veer Sena, who was accompanying the protestors.

Gomti, 39, could not hold back her tears as she recalled tales of horror of young Hindu women being abducted, raped and converted in Sindh province of Pakistan. She is among the 750 Pakistani Hindu people who have fled Pakistan and come to Delhi. Ganga, a 42 year old woman (name changed) said that she left Sindh province of Pakistan and has come to Delhi with her husband and their six children.“We are called as kafir (or the non believer) in Pakistan; our children are not allowed to study in schools unless they convert to Islam and read the kalma. Wives of Hindu men are picked up and raped.“When we go to police station to register complaints, the police drive us away saying rape is no big deal, has he taken anything from you?,” said Gomti, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Nahar Singh, a Delhiite who has given shelter to over 750 Pakistani Hindu refugees who came to Delhi over the past 18 months said, “ All they want is to live with respect and be allowed to stay as Hindus; the Government of India should grant them citizenship.”

Nahar Singh said that the refugee have already appealed to the President of India and all major constitutional authorities in the country including the Prime Minister, but in vain.

Nahar Singh added that thousands of these victimised Hindus, as well as their human rights defenders have sought refuge in India, where they no doubt face various legal, economic, and social issues.

The Centre, which has to either accept these refugees on the humanitarian grounds by recognising their refugee status or confer them the citizenship of India, has not come forth with any concrete decision.