On July 11, 2021 actor Anupam Kher will be releasing a documentary ‘Stateless: Story of India’s returning children’ which gives a glimpse into how it is to live as a Hindu in Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
In December 2019, the Government of India passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which fast-tracts Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities in the three neighbouring Islamic countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. These persecuted religious minorities are Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists and Parsis, amongst others, who are being targeted in these three Islamic nations solely because of their religion. This persecution includes, but is not limited to, forced religious conversion, rapes, destruction of homes, murder and other form of violence.
These persecuted people have often fled to India to take refuge in a place where all people belonging to non-Islamic religions can call themselves home.
However, their stories are either not told or are muzzled by protests. Soon after the Act was passed, lakhs of Muslims took to street to protest against the newly amended law. Their question was why were Muslims from the Muslim nations were singled out. Logic dictates that since the Act is about fast-tracking Indian citizenship who for those who are persecuted in these countries for their religion, the Muslims in the Islamic countries would not be facing religious persecution. The Muslims from these countries who seek Indian citizenship could do so as per usual provision. But this Act was specifically for persecuted religious minorities from these three countries.
Which is why filmmaker Nikhil Singh Rajputt teamed up with Manvendra Singh Shekhawat to tell the world the stories that have not yet been told. The stories of the refugees waiting to be currently accepted in India. An online premiere of the same will take place on July 11, 2021 with Anupam Kher as chief guest under the initiative of indicdialogue.org. You can register for the screening and subsequent discussion here.