World Refugee Day: A decade on, Pak Hindus 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.