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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Neither Pak nor India to be blamed, our fault is we were born: Hindu refugees in Majnu Ka Tila
On a table in a room that has walls made up of corrugated metal sheet lies a notice issued by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the contents of which are powerful enough to shake up the future of 800 Pakistani Hindu refugees staying in a camp in Delhi's Majnu ka Tila. 'Bhai, notice aagaya hai… ab hum kahan jaayenge,' said a camp resident while referring to the public notice issued on July 14. 'How can they evict us without giving us any alternate living space… Some imaginary lines were drawn by foreigners to divide India and Pakistan. They didn't care about the toll it would take on us… We hoped at least the government of India would care about us,' he added, refusing to share his name. The refugee camp is located on the Yamuna floodplains, which, according to the Delhi Master Plan, fall in Zone 'O', where construction and housing are prohibited due to environmental concerns. The DDA notice issued on July 14 has stated: '…the Hon'ble High Court has given judgment in favour of DDA… In compliance… it is proposed to conduct demolition drive against encroachment in Yamuna River flood plain DDA land south of Gurdwara in Majnoo ka Tila on 15/07/2025 and 16/07/2025.' Requesting that the residents vacate the area by July 14, it added that if not done, 'they (residents) will be responsible for any damage caused due to demolition drive against encroachment' on July 15, 16, and thereafter. The eviction, however, is yet to begin, said residents. On May 30, the HC had dismissed a petition filed by one Ravi Ranjan Singh seeking the court's direction to the DDA not to demolish the camp, till some alternative piece of land is allotted to the residents under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Pointing out the need to secure the fundamental human right to a clean and healthy environment for the residents and future generations of Delhi, Justice Dharmesh Sharma had said in his May order: 'Given the critical condition of Yamuna river, this court unhesitatingly finds that no interference with the ongoing restoration and rejuvenation efforts of the river can be countenanced at the petitioner's instance.' Dharamvir Solanki, who has been living in the camp since 2013, said, 'Around 1,000 people live in this camp…700 of them don't have Indian citizenship. None of them has a ration card. Some have come after the CAA cut-off date of December 2014… Why even have a cut-off date like this?' While the walls of houses in the camp are made of bamboo slats, corrugated metal sheets, or even mud bricks, the roofs are an amalgamation of tarpaulin and straw. Some houses bear the marks of recent destruction or ongoing construction, and the ceilings are a rustic lattice of wooden beams and bamboo. 'It is neither the fault of India, nor of Pakistan… our fault is we were born,' said Maina (25), who has been living in the camp for the last 12 years. 'They called us 'Hindustani' there, and they call us 'Pakistani' here,' said Shruti (40), who has recently shifted to the camp. As her child asks for Rs 10 to purchase finger chips being made by a group of women inside the camp, Maina said, 'It breaks my heart when he asks for money… I earn just Rs 100 a day. I spend more than I earn. Earlier, we would sell mobile phone covers… but a single flood in the camp takes us 10 years back. Our savings, our inventory… everything gets destroyed.' 'We didn't even have power for the last 10 years. This used to be a cemetery… finding corpses in the ground was common a decade ago,' said Mohini, another resident. 'A snake is spotted here every single day… I am scared for my children,' she added.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Time of India
Apple iOS 26: Top 5 iOS 26 Features You NEED to See!
Denied Visa, Hindu Couple From Pakistan Dies of Thirst in Thar Desert After Illegal Border Crossing A tragic story has emerged from Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, where a Pakistani Hindu teen couple Ravi Kumar (17) and Shanti Bai (15) died of dehydration while attempting to cross the India-Pakistan border through the Thar Desert. Denied visas by Indian authorities, the newlyweds chose to risk everything for a new life in India. Their journey ended in silence and sand with only a jerry can by their side, empty and dry. This heartbreaking case has triggered a cross-border emotional stir and raised questions on humanitarian protocols, Indo-Pak visa policy, and the treatment of persecuted minorities.#RajasthanNews #PakHinduCouple #TharDesertTragedy #IndiaPakistanBorder #Jaisalmer #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews 4.8K views | 20 hours ago
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Time of India
Actor and singer Gippy Grewal spotted in Kolkata
Denied Visa, Hindu Couple From Pakistan Dies of Thirst in Thar Desert After Illegal Border Crossing A tragic story has emerged from Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, where a Pakistani Hindu teen couple Ravi Kumar (17) and Shanti Bai (15) died of dehydration while attempting to cross the India-Pakistan border through the Thar Desert. Denied visas by Indian authorities, the newlyweds chose to risk everything for a new life in India. Their journey ended in silence and sand with only a jerry can by their side, empty and dry. This heartbreaking case has triggered a cross-border emotional stir and raised questions on humanitarian protocols, Indo-Pak visa policy, and the treatment of persecuted minorities.#RajasthanNews #PakHinduCouple #TharDesertTragedy #IndiaPakistanBorder #Jaisalmer #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews 4.8K views | 20 hours ago
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
World Refugee Day: A decade on, Pakistani Hindu refugees in Delhi still await citizenship
NEW DELHI: As World Refugee Day is observed across the globe on Friday, hundreds of Pakistani Hindu families who crossed the border over the past decade with the hope of a better life in India continue to live in limbo. Narrow stretches of kutcha lanes in Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila quietly reflect a long wait filled with uncertainty, a wait for identity, dignity, and a place to finally call home. While a section of Pakistani Hindu refugees received their Indian citizenship last year ahead of the general elections, many allege that only about 10 per cent of the camp's population has been granted citizenship so far. Meena Kumari (55), who came from Sindh with five of her children 10 years ago, claimed that her entire family is still waiting to be registered as Indian citizens. 'I've been living here for 10 years. We were told we would be given citizenship. But till now, there's been no clarity,' she said, adding that she left four of her children behind in Pakistan. 'There is no sanitation here. We've repeatedly approached authorities, but the situation remains the same. We are also told, from time to time, that we could be removed from this camp,' she said. The refugee settlement, located near the Yamuna, is marked by kutcha houses, broken public toilets and overflowing garbage. Toilets built for the residents of the camp have turned into dumping sites and several lanes are in a state of disrepair. Most households in the camp still rely on mud stoves and biomass fuel for cooking. June 20 is observed as World Refugee Day to highlight the plight of displaced communities and their right to safety and dignity. Forty-five-year-old Udish Narayan, who arrived from Sindh two years ago with his extended family, said the lack of citizenship has also affected their employment opportunities. 'We are not allowed to sell fruits or park our carts on the roadside. There is no work. We were promised citizenship but are still waiting,' he claimed. Due to the absence of formal documents, many residents are unable to access government welfare schemes. Despite the challenges of displacement and the uncertainty their families face, children in the refugee camp hold on to big ambitions. Many speak of becoming officers and doctors one day, as they continue their education with determination in the face of hardship. Muskaan and Sangeeta, both aged 12 and students of Class 6, said they wish to become doctors when they grow up. Whereas 5-year-old Gayatri, another child in the camp, expressed her ambition to become an officer someday. The residents said some families were granted citizenship and voting rights ahead of the recent Lok Sabha elections, but the majority are still waiting.
Hindustan Times
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pak Hindu refugee camp faces demolition as Delhi HC rules in favour of Yamuna floodplains
The Delhi High Court has refused to intervene in the demolition of a Pakistani Hindu refugee camp at Majnu Ka Tila, saying it was situated in the ecologically sensitive Yamuna floodplains, which must be protected. Justice Dharmesh Sharma on May 30 dismissed the petition in relation to 800 such refugees from the neighbouring country, which also sought directions to the authorities for alternate accommodation. The court observed that protection of the floodplains aimed to secure the fundamental human right to a clean and healthy environment for Delhi residents and future generations. The verdict said it even Indian citizens could not claim alternate allotment as an absolute right in cases where the occupied land fell in prohibited areas like the Yamuna floodplains. Refugees, it said, had no right to continue to occupy the area as the government of India made no promises to them on providing an allotment or alternate accommodation. Support and assistance were provided to the limited extent that their respective applications for the grant of a "Long Term Visa" could be submitted successfully and decided by the Ministry of Home Affairs as expeditiously as possible, it added. The court, however, recorded its "sincere efforts" to engage with the authorities to facilitate the rehabilitation and relocation of the refugees in vain", seemingly due to a classic case of bureaucratic buck-passing, particularly on the part of the Centre. "Nevertheless, this court cannot undertake the exercise of framing a policy to ameliorate the plight of the refugees. The present writ petition is accordingly dismissed," the court said. The judgment said no doubt protecting the ecologically sensitive Yamuna floodplains was necessary not only from an environmental standpoint but also in line with the categorical directions of the Supreme Court, the NGT, and the high court. "These directives aim to preserve ecological integrity and secure the fundamental human right to a clean and healthy environment for the residents of Delhi and future generations. Given the critical condition of the Yamuna River, this court unhesitatingly finds that no interference with the ongoing restoration and rejuvenation efforts of the river can be countenanced at the petitioner's instance," it said. The court said that under the Delhi Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, Pakistani refugees could not be rehabilitated on account of their foreign nationality status. Refugees, it noted, were to first acquire Indian citizenship by way of registration or naturalisation under Section 10A of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. "Needless to state, the effect of the acceptance of such an application would be that the aggrieved refugees shall be deemed citizens of India and would be able to enjoy all rights and benefits available to any ordinary citizen of India," the court said. The petitioner moved the high court after a public notice dated March 4, 2024, was pasted in the area asking the residents to vacate their dwellings by March 6, 2024, failing which the DDA would demolish their camp. The petitioner argued that the Pakistani Hindu Refugees had been living in Majnu Ka Tilla for several years, with basic facilities being provided by the authorities. The court initially granted interim relief to the petitioner and restrained DDA from taking any coercive action.
