On Tuesday (26.08.2019) there was hustle and bustle at Circuit House Gandhinagar Gujarat. Families of migrant Pakistani Hindu migrants came. Elders, women, and children all were present.
It was a special occasion and all the faces are smiling. Girls were busy discussing their career plans. Parents talk with each other about colleges, educational courses and children weddings, etc. The function is of distribution of Indian citizenship certificates to Pakistani Hindu migrants.
They all got the Indian citizenship certificates from dignitaries B.C.Joshi Director (Citizenship) MHA New Delhi, M.K.Jha Deputy Secretary MHA New Delhi, Brajesh Kumar Jha Home Secretary Gujarat, Dr. Vikrant Pandey Collector and DM Ahmedabad, S.K.Langa Collector Gandhinagar, Remya Mohan Collector Kutch in the presence of Home department officials, District Collectorate officials, Hindu migrants, their relatives and well-wishers.
All Pakistani Hindu migrant girls, women, and other family members told that Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi has given precious gift to them and their families on RAKSHABANDHAN, that is Indian Citizenship. They consider Prime Minister as their brother, who has given them safety, security, education and empowerment in India. With support and rehabilitation plan in India, many Hindu girls and women got saved from the forced conversion in Pakistan and given new dignified and blessed life in India.
46 applicants have been issued citizenship certificates by the office of District Collector office Ahmedabad at Circuit House Gandhinagar. Collector told the large gathering of Pakistani Hindu migrants that Gujarat Govt. is doing all needful for the rehabilitation of Pakistani Hindu migrants in Gujarat. Last year Gujarat Home Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja has distributed the 184 citizenship certificate to Pakistani Hindu migrants. Revenue Minister Kaushikbhai Patel distributed letters and citizenship certificate (c.c.) to 95 applicants in April 2018 at Tagore hall. 90 c.c. was issued by Collector in June 2018. District Collector office has already issued 580 citizenship certificates in total so far after power delegation.
Six sisters Mona, Lakita, Uljhan, Heena, Lubna, and Rasna told that they were on the seventh sky.
After getting Indian citizenship, Heena said “ We will be able to get Indian passports and will try for getting admission in a good university abroad. In Pakistan, we were confined to homes and studied at home. We go to school only for the exam. Here in India girls have all opportunity and equality for education.”
Another migrant Shankarlal said that he migrated to India 12 years ago, when one tragedy happened to their family. Today he and his wife Lachhmi Bai got Indian citizenship. They are thankful to Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi. Now their son will submit citizenship application.
One elderly man Rano Maharaj informed that her daughter Radha has got Indian citizenship. He is relaxed today, now the wedding of her daughter will take place. He said that no groom come forward to marry a girl with Pakistani citizenship.
Ahmedabad district is first and still no.1 in the issue of Indian citizenship certificates to Pakistani Hindu migrants in India, from the date of MHA notification of power delegation 23.12.2016. Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi union cabinet decision of July 2016 is being implemented in Gujarat with full enthusiasm.
Sindh Minority Migrants Association Secretary Rajesh Maheshwari and the team have been representing the Pakistani Hindu migrants’ issues with Gujarat Home department and Ministry of Home Affairs Govt. of India New Delhi. Ministers, MPs, have recommended to Govt. of India for early resolution of problems. Last year in April 2017, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Citizenship under the chairmanship of Dr. Satya Pal Singh visited Ahmedabad. They held meetings with Hindu migrants in their localities Isanpur, Sardarnagar and got first-hand information. A Joint meeting of officials of MHA, MEA, Law Ministry, Gujarat Home department FRRO Ahmedabad , District Collectorate and representatives of Pakistani Hindu migrants was held at circuit House Ahmedabad on 18th April, 2017 and discussed the issues.
Pakistani Hindu migrants resident of Gujarat are lucky that their voice is heard at PMO, MHA , CMO and Home department. Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijaybhai Rupani and Minister of State of Home Pradipsinh Jadeja has advised the concerned FRROs, DMs and Home department. officials to expedite the citizenship grant process to Hindu migrants in Gujarat. With concern and personal attention of the Minister, there is no pending case of citizenship with Govt. Some files are pending due to non-submission of documents from applicants.
SMMA Secretary Rajesh Maheshwari thanked Govt. of India for extending the power delegation for citizenship for more years till new order. Now, maximum no. of Hindu migrants can get benefit. Following are some of the points for Citizenship section MHA consideration: –
1) More than 200 citizenship applications are pending for report from Central I.B. office. Applicants central I.B. inquiry has been conducted in Aug. 2018 and thereafter. Clearance Reports have not come from citizenship section MHA since March 2019. No online clearance. Procedure changed?
2) Procedure for processing old citizenship files, which are applied offline and all formalities have been completed.
3) Procedure of old online citizenship files, whose all formalities has been completed, but pending due to security clearance.
4) Acceptance of AFFIDAVIT from Indian Origin applicants, whose either parent born before 15.08.1947 but have not got any document for parent.
5) The procedure of submitting the citizenship applications, who migrated to India before 31-12-2014 and do not possess any travel document (like passport, Residential permit). They have been authorised by MHA Govt. of India notification F.No.25022/50/2015-F.1 dt.07-09-2015. AFFIDAVIT Format and standard operating procedure to regularize their stay at FRO, should be issued.
6) Acceptance of valid Pakistani passport of children of Hindu migrants at the DM Ahmedabad office. As per Pakistan Citizenship law, PHC New Delhi does not accept the Pakistani passports of children below 21 years of age.
7) Time frame for completing all procedures of different offices/authorities in a time-bound manner right from submission of citizenship application at DM office to grant of Indian Citizenship certificates. (180 days’ maximum)
8) Pakistan High Commission does not accept the surrender of Pakistani passports since (05.08.2019) last 15 days. Kindly Accept valid Pakistani passports at DM office for getting Indian citizenship certificates. This was accepted in JCCAB meeting on 18.04.2017 at Ahmedabad.
9) Provide DC/DM office, State Home department new computers, scanners, printers and other equipment for better and quality issue of citizenship certificates to Hindu migrants.
10) Monthly review meeting of all concerned department. to monitor progress in citizenship cases and pending cases in each department.
Once again Pakistani Hindu migrants, their relatives, well-wishers, SMMA team are thankful to District Collector Dr. Vikrant Pandey and his team for the issue of citizenship certificates in minimum possible time. DM has requested Director (Citizenship) to expedite the clearance of 182 applicants’ files from concerned departments so that 200 citizenship applications can be issued on DIWALI time.
Rajesh Maheshwari
The following article has been submitted to www.currentriggers.com by Sindh Minority Migrant Association and only minor editing has been done for convenient reading. The views are of the SMMA and do not represent our views in any way.
Pakistani Hindus in Jodhpur face apathy over Long Term Visa (Videos)
