෴At a polling booth in Majnu Ka Tilla, a bustling area in North Delhi, 50-year-old Reshma pressed the button on an electronic voting machine with a broad smile on her face on Wednesday. For the first time in her life, Reshma cast her vote, not just for a candidate, but for her family’s future.
🥀Reshma is among 186 Pakistani Hindu refugees who, after years of uncertainty, exercised their voting rights for the first time in the Delhi Assembly elections. This marks a significant milestone in their long journey from statelessness to citizenship. The refugees, who were granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), participated in the electoral process, solidifying their newfound status as citizens of India.
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ꦯDharamveer Solanki, president of the Pakistani Hindu refugee community, expressed optimism about the future, saying, “Now, we won’t have to constantly change our location. We will finally get permanent homes and a stable means of livelihood.”
☂The excitement among the refugees was palpable, with many lining up outside the polling booth in Majnu Ka Tilla, a resettlement colony for the displaced community. "I have lived here for 17 years but today, for the first time, I truly feel like I am part of Hindustan," said Chandrama, her voice filled with emotion. “After a long struggle, now I have hope that my children will get a better life,” she added.
🔥For decades, thousands of Pakistani Hindus fled religious persecution in their home country, seeking refuge in India. Many of them settled in Majnu Ka Tilla, where they lived in makeshift shelters and struggled to make ends meet through daily wage labour. Their lives, often marked by hardship and uncertainty, began to change when the Citizenship (Amendment) Act came into effect.
🍃The CAA, passed in December 2019, grants Indian citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. The policy, while controversial, opened the doors for individuals like Yashoda, a 27-year-old woman who was the first in her group to receive Indian citizenship. Yashoda, who even had the chance to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was visibly elated as she stood in line to cast her vote. “We have spent years working as daily wage laborers, struggling to survive. Now that we have Indian citizenship, we hope for proper jobs, homes, and a dignified life,” she said.
♉Maina, a 23-year-old refugee who traveled from Faridabad to vote, shared her excitement, saying, "When I entered the polling booth, I had no idea how to vote or which party represented whom. But once I pressed the button, I felt the shift — I finally had a voice.” However, Maina, like many others, voiced concerns about lingering challenges, such as high electricity bills and lack of access to clean water. “We still live in broken homes, and the conditions are harsh. We hope the new government will finally address our problems,” she added.
🐓Among the voters was Ranju, in her 70s, who has spent more than half of her life in India without the right to vote. She reflected on the hardships she and others have faced: “I have seen hardship my entire life — struggles for water, employment, identity. Many people here still don’t have Aadhaar cards. Prices are rising, and we are just trying to survive.” Yet, Ranju stood proud at the polling booth, adding, “I have faith. If I can vote today, maybe tomorrow I will get all the other rights I have waited for.”
𝐆For these newly naturalised citizens, casting a vote was not just a civic duty—it was a declaration of belonging, a moment of empowerment after years of displacement and uncertainty. Despite ongoing challenges, their participation in the democratic process signifies a new chapter in their lives, where they can now look toward a future of stability, hope, and opportunity.
(With PTI inputs)
