Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
JAISALMER, INDIA, September 10, 2009: In the past four years, thousands of Hindus have crossed over from Pakistan, some never to return–abandoning their homes and sometimes even their families. They say they had no choice: they had to flee the Taliban. Official figures state that 392 Hindus crossed over in 2006, 880 in 2007, 1,240 in 2008 and over 1,000 so far this year. Many more are said to cross over and melt into the local milieu. Those fortunate enough to have visas just keep extending them, hoping to become Indian citizens. Many officials have compassion for these people, most of whom have harrowing stories to tell–their wives and daughters raped and forcibly converted to Islam, their own inability to get good jobs without converting, etc. Dungaram, a migrant, says atrocities against Hindus in Pakistan have increased in the past two years after the ouster of Musharraf. Hindu Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangathan, a group working for the refugees in Barmer and Jaisalmer, says there’s no proper refugee policy in India, even though people from Pakistan arrive in large numbers.