Pak, Afghan Hindu-Sikh families find ray of hope after new CAA law

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 14

After the Central government issued a notification regarding the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the BJP district unit greeted the Pakistani and Afghan Hindu-Sikh refugees living in the city of Amritsar with sweets. While there are several Hindu-Sikh refugee families who migrated from Pakistan and Afghanistan over the years and stay in city, the CAA notification would mean that now the way has been paved for them to apply for an Indian citizenship.

Welcoming the decision of the Government of India, families of Shiv Kumar Guljari Lal, Roop Chand (both of whom migrated from Pakistan) and Surbir Singh, who came from Afghanistan, said that this would mean that their struggle for stability in life was nearing fruition.

“There are several families like us who have been living here for a long time but as they did not have an Indian citizenship, there was always some apprehension,” said Guljari Lal. He said he had left his home and business and come to India to live permanently as like many others, they and their families felt unsafe in those countries. Similarly, many other families have also come from Afghanistan, and settled in the Jahajgarh area.

BJP district president Harvinder Singh Sandhu said the law will apply to all immigrants, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. “After 1992, no one was given full citizenship. Such refugee families are living in Rajasthan, Delhi and many other parts of the country. The number of such refugee families in Punjab is around 400 and they have been living here for almost two decades,” he said.

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