Pakistani Hindu refugees in Delhi fear fresh eviction — ‘We fled to be safe, now where do we go?'

Credit: @sewanyaya / X

Pakistani Hindu refugees living in different settlements across Delhi held a large panchayat to discuss their future amid growing fears of eviction. These Sindhi Hindu families, who fled religious persecution in Pakistan and were granted Indian citizenship last year, now feel betrayed, The Times of India reported.

These Sindhi Hindu families live in five refugee camps across the city, including one in Majnu Ka Tila near the Yamuna floodplain. Although the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has not officially issued new eviction notices, the community learned through media reports about a recent court order allowing the clearing of parts of Majnu Ka Tila.

“We ran to India to save our lives. This was the only country where we, as Hindus, could feel safe. Now, even if we won't find a place to live here, where are we supposed to go? We don't have much education, cannot afford a lawyer, and were living off the help of our Hindu brothers here. Somehow, we managed to earn a living here, managed to send our children to school, to give them a life that we could never dream of. Now, this decision of the court has come as a knife to our hearts," TOI quoted Sukhnandan, pradhan of Majnu Ka Tila, who came to India in 2012 and settled on vacant land next to a gurdwara.

To respond to this situation, the refugee community held a large meeting at the Signature Bridge settlement. Camp leaders and residents from all six Delhi locations, Majnu Ka Tila, Signature Bridge, Adarsh Nagar, Bhatti Mines, Rohini Sector 11, and Rohini Sector 25, came together to discuss their next steps. The community have decided to seek a meeting with Delhi’s chief minister, Rekha Gupta, to ask for resettlement help.

"The new reports say that we will be evicted from the floodplain. That's two of our camps. It does not talk about our rehabilitation. We will seek time from Delhi's CM tomorrow, if required, even hold protests," said Dharamveer Bagri, another settler at Majnu Ka Tila, who hailed from Hyderabad in Sindh, Pakistan.

Last year, when eviction notices were first issued, the community managed to get a temporary stay from the Delhi High Court. However, the court has now upheld DDA’s order to clear the land, according to the TOI report.

In July 2024, the DDA gave residents just 24 hours to vacate before a demolition drive, saying the land is part of the Yamuna floodplain and must be cleared, as directed by the National Green Tribunal.

A new court order on May 30 noted that earlier efforts to relocate the refugees had failed. The court also said it cannot make policies to help the refugees, as that responsibility lies with the government.