People who were forced to flee their homeland to save their lives from persecution by the Islamic regime in Pakistan came to India with hope and a sense of security. But upon reaching India, the Hindu refugees for a decade had to live in darkness in the national capital. This era of darkness, however, came to an end as the refugee camps near Majilis Park in northwest Delhi are finally getting an electricity supply.
As per a report in Times of India, around 900 people have been living in appalling conditions on an open large ground behind the Majlis Park metro station with almost no basic facilities. However, on November 10, 2022, the Delhi High Court ordered the city’s power distribution provider Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) to provide electricity supply to all the houses of the refugees within a month. During the hearing, the Delhi High Court bench comprising Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramanium Prasad had observed that “non-provision of electricity amounts to the denial of a basic need.”
After the Ministry of Defence, which owns the land where the refugees reside gave a No Objection Certificate (NOC) the bench ordered TPDDL to provide electricity supply to the refugee camps.
In 2013, a large number of Pakistani Hindus moved to India. Interestingly, the Indian tricolour, and saffron flags, as well as the flag of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), can be spotted at several houses of these refugees. For these refugees, Indian citizenship and voting rights remain a distant dream. However, with the electricity supply being provided to the refugee houses, there is a ray of hope that things will change for the better.
While speaking to the Times of India (TOI), Gulab Chand, a 47-year-old refugee who is originally from Sindh province in Pakistan said, “We are raising our demand in legitimate ways that is why this struggle will be long. A few years ago, solar panels were installed but those were not enough to even light up a room.”
Newly installed bulbs, tube lights, and switch boxes can be seen in the camp’s houses, and the installation process is underway in many others.
Pradhan Nehru Lal, another Pakistani Hindu refugee told TOI, “We came here in 2013, there are around 900 people living here and many of our relatives who are still in Pakistan want to move to India. Things will change gradually and maybe someday we will get Indian citizenship as well.”
While the Hindu refugees are happy about the gradual yet positive changes taking place, water supply, drainage, and condition of roads remain major issues in the area. Despite the hardships, the Pakistani Hindus take immense pride in calling India their home and this deep-rooted love gives them the strength to struggle for their basic rights.