200 families of Hindu migrants in Delhi from Pakistan living in dark, literally

Over 2,000 migrants including children as young as five-year-old who have come from Pakistan are struggling to make a living and are currently living on Defence land near Adarsh Nagar Colony. 
The entire region right next to Adarsh Nagar Colony appears like a primitive village with mud-based houses, dirt track roads, and some hand pumps. 
The entire region right next to Adarsh Nagar Colony appears like a primitive village with mud-based houses, dirt track roads, and some hand pumps. 

NEW DELHI:  Already on the backfoot due to the citizenship act issue, the 200 families of Hindu migrants from Pakistan faced a double whammy on Thursday when a response filed by the Centre over migrants’ plea demanding electricity connection said it should be dismissed. The Centre in its response said that their demand should be dismissed as they were residing in “illegal camps” in North Delhi. 

Over 2,000 migrants including children as young as five-year-old who have come from Pakistan are struggling to make a living and are currently living on Defence land near Adarsh Nagar Colony.  According to Hariom, a social activist working for the welfare of the migrants, more than 750 of them have gone back to Pakistan in two months from Delhi and over 3,000 from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. 

“There is no electricity, roads, water or even a pucca house for these people… just the hope of a safe environment kept them back in India but now they are going back as they are facing health and infrastructure issues,” Hariom says. The entire region right next to Adarsh Nagar Colony appears like a primitive village with mud-based houses, dirt track roads, and some hand pumps. 

The children have not been able to step outside their rooms because of the fear of insects and snakes in the 
monsoon season.  Moolchand, a migrant who came to India last year, says that the entire area had become risky during monsoon as there were snakes and scorpions.

Moolchand came to India with his wife and two daughters and a son. He wants to provide them a secure future which was a challenge back in the region of Sindh, Pakistan where he lived earlier.  Moolchand has been giving tuitions to the children living in the area with the help of a few NGOs, which helped him install a solar power panel inside his house.

“The solar panel helps run a fan and a tube light but it’s only in a few houses,” Moolchand says. When asked if the government has installed any solar panel, he says that nobody from the government authorities came for any help. “Except for a few NGOs nobody came to help us. The right wing groups got their posters and hoardings pitched here but none became our voice.” There is no outlet for the sewer-water in the area, says Ramji, a migrant. 

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com