Pak Refugees Hope Vote Will Bring Change

New Delhi: First-time voters are usually young and chirpy, but on Feb 5, a unique group will line up at the polling booths, ecstatic at finally having a chance to make their voice felt, yet at the same time aware that the fulcrum of their future is more than just their newly acquired franchise. These are Pakistani refugees who recently gained Indian citizenship and will cast their vote for the first time in their new country.
Despite their new status as citizens, the lives of these immigrants at camps in Adarsh Nagar and Majnu Ka Tila are challenging, filled with struggles for basic amenities. Many of these new voters work as daily wage earners, street vendors, mobile phone cover seller or ply rickshaws. No wonder Delhi High Court recently had a stinging remark for the govt: "You just give citizenship, no facilities?"
At the Adarsh Nagar camp, there's a pungent stench in the air though the children play regardless among the garbage. "My husband wakes up early every morning, piles buckets on his scooter and goes to fetch water from the Delhi Jal Board office. We deserve water at our doorsteps," said Chandarman, 50. "My vote will go to the one who exercises this right for me."
Chandarman became an Indian citizen just a week ago. As she gathers the last of her documents to get her voter ID made, her face lights up with excitement. Originally from Sindh, she moved to India to escape state persecution and spent years waiting for her citizenship. Now that she's a citizen, she has simple demands — like water at her doorstep.
Early in the day, families scamper around for water. There are no toilets around, not even gutters. A disheartened Keviki, 38, said, "Our place doesn't have even a sewer line. This forces us to live in unhygienic conditions."
Dharamveer, a newly minted Indian citizen, said, "Jo mool suvidhaaye adhiktar aam aadmiyon ko yaha milti hai, woh humein bhi toh milni chahiye na (Shouldn't we also get the basic rights that people here are entitled to)?" That is why, he said, he hoped the assembly elections will bring "more awareness on welfare schemes and ration cards".
The high court couldn't have been more emphatic. Dealing with a plea by Akhil Bhartiya Dharma Prasar Samiti, which contended that there was a sizable number of migrants from Pakistan who obtained citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 but were in dire need of comprehensive resettlement to enable them to live with dignity in India. Although the court refused to direct the Centre to provide a rehabilitation package for Hindu migrants from Pakistan who had since obtained Indian citizenship, it could ignore the irony of the situation where citizenship brought no material change in the lives of the immigrants.
The petitioners' counsels, Divita Dutta and Vaibhav Saini, said, "They don't have access to food or clean drinking water. DUSIB has built some toilets, but they are unusable due to lack of water. They live near a garbage dump and the conditions are deplorable."
At Majnu Ka Tila, the conditions are equally dire. The air smelled cleaner, but the unhygienic spaces couldn't be ignored. With toilets missing, women are forced to head to a nearby jungle to find safe spots to relieve themselves. Meena, 25, arrived here when 15 years old. "I can't wait to get my picture taken with the inked finger," she exclaimed. But her excitement is tempered by harsh realities. "We may be citizens but we don't have access to basic things. The toilet is broken, and I sometimes have to wake up at 3am to relieve myself. The water is sometimes dirty, and in summer, the supply almost stops," she said. Her husband's stall was recently demolished and life has become harder. "We need help," she said plaintively.
The fear of their shanties being demolished by Delhi Development Authority and their relocation to another place is what sends fear down their spine. In the camps, the immigrants have built makeshift homes with cow dung and mud, all at risk of being washed away by rain or being destroyed by fire. They, therefore, dream of a pucca house, one that will keep them safe. "We want permanent homes because the jhuggis are dangerous," said Meena. "They house everything from snakes to scorpions. And if a fire breaks out, everything will be lost."
Showing off his voter ID card, Sona Das said, "I will vote for the person who granted me citizenship, but relocation isn't an option. We want to stay right here." Pointing at this shanty, Das said, "Look at this house. We have eight family members who will vote. I want a house right here. We can expand our house later, but not a flat where we could be relocated to."
TOI received no response from DDA on the possibility of the demolition of the new citizens' houses at Majnu Ka Tila.
Amidst all the daily struggles and hopes, however, there is an electric atmosphere. The camp residents are enthused at finally having a voice in shaping their future and to thank with their ballots those who facilitated their citizenship.