Jodhpur: Not long ago, Pakistani Hindus living in Jodhpur held little political sway. However, as time passed and they grew in numbers, the community has emerged as an important vote bank, with manifestos of political parties promising to fulfill their basic needs like water and electricity.
According to Hindu Singh Soda, who runs a charity here for Pakistani Hindus, around 20,000 members of the community in Jodhpur are eligible to vote. There are approximately five lakh Pakistani Hindus in other districts like Barmer, Jaisalmer and Bikaner. Of these two lakh have been granted Indian citizenship, Soda told this agency.
These people are eligible to apply for Indian citizenship only after living in the country for seven years and till then, they stay here on extended visas, Soda informed.
“For them, partition is not over. They are running from persecution, but basic facilities are not provided here,” Soda said. It is only after being conferred Indian citizenship by the authorities, they are eligible to vote and avail of government schemes,” added Soda.
The Congress for the first time has acknowledged the sway the Pakistani Hindus may have on the polls. For the first time, the Congress in its manifesto has promised to provide water and electricity, among others things, to the community.
With this, the party hopes to win over the likes of 22-year-old Jagdish Thakur, who fled Pakistan after completing school and could not resume his studies immediately after coming to India.
Thakur said he was unable to continue his studies because he did not have any Indian documents to provide proof of age, among other things. He had to start over from Class 10. Now he is pursuing BA in Jodhpur.
However, Thakur’s woes are far from over. He lives in a makeshift camp with 850 other Pakistani Hindus in Magra Punjila – 14 kilometers from Jodhpur city. With no power in the camp, it sinks into darkness every day as the sun sets.
Another Hindu migrant, who did not wish to be named, pointed out that the BJP had not made any promises for the community in its manifesto. “They (BJP) think that Hindu migrants from Pakistan are their vote bank because it is a party based on Hindu ideology, but Pakistani Hindus cannot be taken for granted,” he said, “We will support those who address our issues,” he added.
The electoral battle April 29 in Jodhpur will see Congress candidate Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, take on BJP’s sitting MP and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.