Pak Hindu refugees celebrate as Parliament debates CAB

Hindu refugees from Pakistan, living in various parts of the national capital, have been rejoicing ever since the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, which seeks to provide them Indian citizenship, was tabled in Parliament.

New Delhi: With the parliament discussing and debating the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, hundreds of Hindu refugees from Pakistan, who live in several camps across the city, have been tremendously excited hoping that after the bill is passed, they would get the Indian citizenship, a passport to the good life.

As an ETV Bharat correspondent visited one such camp, situated in Rohini area of the national capital, people, including children and women, were found celebrating the occasion.

They praised the union government for bringing the bill that would ensure citizenship to them, which in turn would open the doors of other facilities and services for them and their children.

"We abandoned everything that we had in Pakistan and have come to India, our motherland. We as Hindus were not allowed to work or live peacefully there," said one of the refugees.

He said all of them were really happy as the Indian government has decided to bring in a bill to assure citizenship to them.

Interacting with the ETV Bharat, most of them shouted slogans praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. They also shouted slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' (victory for Mother India).

Children and others danced while patriotic songs were played on a specially placed music system.

Jyoti Sharma of the VHP, who has been looking after the refugees of the camp, said they have all worked hard for years and now when the bill is being discussed in the parliament, we all hope that their dream of becoming Indian citizens would be fulfilled.