Vatika, Jaipur
Director of Pakistan Hindu Refugee Relief Program (a program under Global Hindu Foundation US) Rahul C. Sharma visited the distressed Pakistani Hindu migrant family at Vatika , Tonk Road Jaipur. The family of twenty one persons , including nine to ten children migrated from Sindh province of Pakistan and are staying on LTV issued by the Indian Govt. and supervised by local authorities. These Hindu migrants are Rajput community from Pakistan and have been staying in Jaipur since past two years. They left Pakistan due to continuous Hindu human rights violation against minority Hindus and the final trigger to leave Pakistan was witnessing the killing of an innocent minor girl by a local Muslim man in front of their eyes at point blank range by a gun.
The minor girl was celebrating Holi (a colorful festival of Hindus) with her family and friends outside her home, when a Muslim man approached her and asked her to go with her, when she refused and her relatives objected to this, the Muslim man came back with a Gun after some time and shot her in the head point blank, resulting in her on spot death. Later police arrived, however, local Mullas intervened and no justice was delivered. This incident shocked the entire family of twenty one and they decided to leave Pakistan as soon as possible. They also refused to convert to Islam and instead left for India hoping for better safety and life.
However, since their arrival and stay they are facing many problems, like some local families in their locality were calling them as terrorist from Pakistan and a threat to locality, which as per Rahul C. Sharma is highly unethical, immoral and inhumane behavior with fellow Hindu brothers and sisters from Pakistan, who left their homeland to remain as Hindus and practice Hinduism.
The second major problem they are facing is that the local Government school is not giving admission to their kids, who are nine in number and are of school going age. The local Govt. school principal is asking for Indian ID’s like Aadhar card, ration card and Driving licenses, which of course these migrants are not having, as citizenship process may take years, post which such ID’s can be issued by respective Indian authorities. As per Rahul C. Sharma, this is not justified as legally migrated Hindus kids should be eligible for local Govt. schools and just giving entry and visa is not enough. They have left Pakistan and are in a process to become Indian citizens, their children will become Indian citizens sooner or later, than why should they be left illiterate and denied the right to education if Indian Govt. has legally given them visas and have accepted their application under the CAA – Citizenship Amendment Act. For this, Rahul C. Sharma plans to write this matter to Govt. of Rajasthan CMO office and educational minister, also will copy Hon’ble HM of India Amit Shah. Rahul C. Sharma appeals to the Govt. of Rajasthan to support the entry of their children in the local Govt. school which is in their backyard.
Another problem is setting up business, as of now, few family members are working as daily laborers and supporting the family, however, they are skilled in mobile repair service business and Car/Two wheeler tire and other vehicular repair services. As per the detailed discussion they had with Rahul C. Sharma, setting up a Car/Two wheeler tyre/puncture repair shop will cost them around Rs. 1.25-1.5 lacs (~$1500 -$1800), which includes a shanty of movable iron frame and tin sheet, a pressure system and tools. Similarly, mobile repair equipment’s will cost them around Rs. 75,000/- ($850) to Rs. 100,000 ($1000), this will enable them to get more income and start their own business. As of now, only three men are getting daily wage employments, as local businesses are not entertaining them much due to their refugee status and discrimination is there. Local businessman has insecurity to employ them due to their Pakistani status, though they all have proper legal Indian paperwork. Sometimes to feed the kids, they have to sell the remaining jewelry pieces to buy groceries and the family is struggling hard on a daily basis to get ends meet.
The family is suffering from acute humanitarian crises, and is in desperate need for support. Rahul C. Sharma also appeals to the Hindus to support this family with ration, toiletries and other daily necessary consumables. The rented house they live in is in a very bad condition, the roof is not concrete and is often leaking during rains, insects, birds, snakes, lizards sneek in kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms.
The family men are willing to work hard and pay off any loan with legal agreement also, if funded by an individual or an organization. The family is staying in a dilapidated house, with no proper water supply and is paying Rs. 8000/- per month as rent, plus water and electric consumption extra, the house has no doors for the bathroom and nearby surrounding has sewer water.
Rahul C. Sharma, PHHR director, appeals to people to support this family in the following ways.
- Donate ration and items of consumables, medicines to the family, individuals or organizations may call Mr. Rajkumar directly or they may contact Dr. Ramesh Chandra Memorial Foundation Office at +91 8107060222 WhatsApp or e-Mail office.rahulchandrasharma@gmail.com , pick up can be arranged by NGO’s office and delivery will be done to this family. A photo, including a press release with donors information will be released accordingly. Items can be ration (Rice, flour, Dal, salt, sugar etc.) or non-ration e.g. soaps, shampoo, detergents, toothpaste, etc. or medicines, mosquito nets or school stationary, books, notebooks for kids. Individuals/Organizations can donate funds to Dr. Ramesh Chandra Memorial Foundation listing the items to be purchased and the organization can buy and transport that to the family.
- Support getting their kids school admissions: Write to Govt. of Rajasthan and local MLA, who is the CM of Rajasthan , Shri. Bhajan Lal Sharma to intervene and facilitate the admission of their kids in the nearby Govt. public school.
- Donate funds to support business establishment – Tyre/Puncture repair Thadi and mobile repair equipment’s. A Tyre/Puncture repair shanty and equipment’s will cost around Rs. 1.25 Lacs (~$1500) including the movable iron shanty. A mobile service and repair equipment will cost Rs. 75,000 /- (~850). Interested individuals and organizations can directly fund and support this or can take assistance from Dr. Ramesh Chandra Memorial Foundation towards getting this implemented. Donations are not tax exempt. Donors will be added to a Whatsapp group so that once funding threshold is achieved, donations acceptance is stopped and execution of the proposed business plan is started.
- Make a visit to the family and support them socially: Interested individuals and organizations can also make a visit to the family and support them morally and socially, and can support the family in long term in whatever the appropriate way deemed suitable and required. They may contact Rahul C. Sharma office at +91 8107060222 WhatsApp or e-Mail office.rahulchandrasharma@gmail.com, who may further connect them to the family member for visit facilitation. Diwali festival is coming and individuals /organizations can gift clothes, sweets, firecrackers and Pooja material to the family.
For US/Europe based Individuals and organizations, they can donate Global Hindu Foundation, USA and contact Mr. Rajiv Varma rajiv.varma@ghfinc.net
Pakistan Hindu Refugee Relief Program was launched in 2013, when Rahul C. Sharma visited his birth place Jodhpur and local Hindu activists of Vishwa Hindu Parishad informed him of the worsening humanitarian situation of nearly eleven hundred refugees who arrived from Pakistan, since then he/his organization alongside vivid individuals and organizations in India and overseas have been supporting migrant Pakistani Hindus in vivid ways. Mr. Rahul C. Sharma is the director of PHHR and he started working for Bhutanese Hindu refugees in Atlanta, Georgia, US, when he was part of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America -Atlanta chapter team under project ‘Ashray’ , ever since then helping, facilitating relief, administrative support for Hindu refugees globally is part of his social services works. PHHR website is: https://pakhindurefugeerelief.wordpress.com/.
Source: World Hindu News