Victims of History: the Untold Story of Pakistani Hindu Refugees in India
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VICTIMS OF HISTORY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PAKISTANI HINDU REFUGEES IN INDIA A Report Published by the Hindu American Foundation Samir Kalra, Esq. Director/Senior Fellow for Human Rights March 31, 2013 HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATIONHAF due to its close proximity to the Indo- more than thirty individual and group INTRODUCTION Pakistani border. interviews2, medical assessments, and discussions with SLS volunteers and The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) is Specifically, from January 14 to January 19, camp leaders. While the focus is on a 501(c)(3) advocacy and human rights 2013, HAF’s Director/Senior Human Rights the migrants in Jodhpur specifically, it organization for the Hindu American Fellow, Samir Kalra, Esq., accompanied by illustrates larger trends reflective of the community. The Foundation educates a team of Hindu American doctors, toured status of Pakistani Hindus in western the public about Hinduism, speaks out three Pakistani Hindu refugee settlements Rajasthan and India in general. about issues affecting Hindus worldwide, in Jodhpur. The visit was hosted by Hindu At the outset, it is important to note that Pakistani Hindus, with the exception HAF visited the city of Jodhpur in India’s of those arriving during the 1971 Indo- northwestern state of Rajasthan, where a number Pakistan War, have not been formally recognized as “refugees” by the Indian of Pakistani Hindus have settled due to its close government or the United Nations proximity to the Indo-Pakistani border. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).3 Despite the absence of this official recognition, however, they meet and builds bridges with institutions and Singh Sodha, Chairman of Seemant the criteria for refugee status under individuals whose work aligns with HAF’s Lok Sangathan (SLS), the primary international law due to their well-founded objectives. HAF focuses on human and community-based organization assisting fear of persecution and Pakistan’s failure civil rights, public policy, media, academia, Pakistani Hindu refugees in Jodhpur and to protect them.4 Consequently, they and interfaith relations. Through its western Rajasthan. will be referred to as “refugees” for the advocacy efforts, HAF seeks to cultivate purposes of this report. leaders and empower future generations HAF’s medical team comprised of of Hindu Americans. Dr. Arvind Chandrakantan (Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology Since its inception, HAF has made human rights one of its main areas of focus, publishing an annual human rights report Pakistani Hindus have not been formally recognized surveying religious persecution against Hindus in countries where they are as “refugees” by the Indian government or UNHCR… minorities. Similarly, the Foundation has actively engaged in international religious at Stony Brook University Medical Ctr in freedom fora, published policy briefs, New York), Dr. Aseem Shukla (Director and hosted human rights briefings on of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Division HISTORY/ Capitol Hill to highlight the plight of Hindu of Pediatric Urology, Children’s Hospital BACKGROUND minorities worldwide. of Philadelphia), Dr. Umesh Gidwani The modern Pakistani state was created by The small Hindu minority in the Islamic (Assistant Professor of Medicine in Cardiology and Pulmonary, Critical Care partitioning the Indian subcontinent in 1947, Republic of Pakistan, in particular, following the British withdrawal from India. has encountered systematic violence, and Sleep Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York), and India-based Partition and the accompanying violence rampant discrimination, and widespread forced millions of Hindus to flee Pakistan restrictions on religious freedom in recent physician, Dr. Dhiren Srivastava (Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric for the safety of India, leading to a drastic years, leading more than 100,000 Hindus decline in the country’s Hindu population. to seek refuge in India. Surgery at Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh), conducted The adoption of discriminatory Islamic With human rights organizations and medical camps at each settlement, laws and constitutional injunctions, the media outlets widely reporting on this serving more than 400 patients. rapid growth of Islamic extremism, and growing phenomenon, the Foundation This report examines the human rights, legal, pervasive religious intolerance have all sought to conduct its own independent resulted in a further reduction in the 1 socioeconomic, and medical conditions fact-finding mission , in order to number of Hindu citizens.5 For instance, explore the on-the-ground realities and facing the Pakistani Hindu population living in Jodhpur and provides recommendations at the time of Partition in 1947, the Hindu circumstances confronting this displaced community in Pakistan was approximately population. Consequently, earlier this year, for their rehabilitation. The report’s findings and conclusions represent data collected 25% of the total populace, but today HAF visited the city of Jodhpur in India’s comprises just under 2%.6 northwestern state of Rajasthan, where a over a six day period and are based on number of Pakistani Hindus have settled first-hand observations and documentation, 2 VICTIMS OF HISTORY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PAKISTANI HINDU REFUGEES IN INDIA The upsurge in kidnappings and forced conversions of Hindu girls, in particular, has created an atmosphere of terror and insecurity amongst Pakistan’s Hindu community, compelling many to leave for India. Although there has been a steady flow of Hindus crossing the border into India in the post-partition period, there have been three primary phases of migration, in addition to the latest which began in 2009: (1) 1965, (2) 1971, and (3) the post- 1992 era. In 1965, for example, 8,000 Pakistani Hindus migrated to the state of Rajasthan alone, while approximately Furthermore, a fourth period of migration of New Delhi also host sizeable Pakistani 90,000 arrived in 1971, and nearly 20,000 appears to have emerged around 2009, Hindu populations. in the post-1992 period.7 when more than 6,000 Pakistani Hindus Of the three settlements HAF visited in sought sanctuary in India.10 Since then, The large scale migrations in 1965 and Jodhpur, the majority of refugees originated approximately 1,000 Pakistani Hindus 1971 were largely due to wartime tensions from Pakistan’s Sindh province, or the have settled in Rajasthan annually, between India and Pakistan. During districts of Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur notwithstanding migration to other both wars, Hindus in Pakistan were in southern Punjab province.14 At the Indian states. And this number is likely characterized as supporters of India and Chopasni refugee camp, for example, to continue unabated, if not significantly effectively designated as “enemies of the there were 204 refugees who migrated increase, according to Hindu Singh Sodha state.” Accordingly, they were implicitly from Sindh in September 2012.15 and other SLS volunteers.11 targeted under a series of administrative The refugees at the Kali Beri and Banar regulations imposed by Pakistan’s The upsurge in kidnappings and forced Road settlements, on the other hand, were military government.8 This conflation of conversions of Hindu girls, in particular, predominantly from Rahim Yar Khan and Hindus with India was not limited to the has created an atmosphere of terror and Bahawalpur districts. Kali Beri housed government establishment, and extended insecurity amongst Pakistan’s Hindu approximately 100 to 115 families (each to religious leaders, extremist groups, community, compelling many to leave for with an average of seven to eight members), and popular opinion as well. As a result, India. Countless more attempt to make that arrived in India at various times since Hindus became convenient targets for the journey, but are unable to for a variety 1971. And at Banar Road, there were 331 discrimination and violence, and fled of reasons. refugees who migrated to India between Pakistan en mass. In India, Rajasthan has seen the largest fifteen and twenty-two years ago.16 The Similarly, a dispute between Hindus and influx of Hindu refugees and there are now residents at the Banar Road settlement Muslims in 1992 over an abandoned at least 400 refugee settlements scattered initially settled in Sirsa, Haryana before mosque in India, known as Babri Masjid, throughout the western parts of the state. relocating to Jodhpur in December 2012. led to widespread violence against Hindus Amongst cities in Rajasthan, Jodhpur has throughout the subcontinent. This was the highest concentration of Pakistani particularly true in Pakistan, where Hindus Hindus, followed by Jaisalmer, Bikaner, There are now at least were subjected to violent attacks by Muslim Ganganagar, and Jaipur.12 Moreover, SLS 400 refugee settlements mobs and several temples were destroyed. volunteers contend that Pakistani Hindus Accordingly, there was a substantial exodus can be found in almost every district of scattered throughout of Hindus from the country in the aftermath Rajasthan. Other areas of India, such as the western parts of of the events of 1992.9 Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, and the capital Rajasthan. HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION | WWW.HAFSITE.ORG 3 Moreover, the residents at all three he worked with had personally endured regardless of their ‘zaat’ (caste). In the camps were primarily from the Bhil and a great deal of suffering in Pakistan. He end I decided that I am going to India and Meghwar tribal communities, two tribes contended that there was “no peace