Dr SK Pandey from Lucknow
We read the stories frequently of how the Government of India refuses permission to Hindus from Pakistan wanting to take shelter in India, as they are being tortured constantly and being pressurised to embrace Islam or to marry their daughters with Muslims in Pakistan. The Hindu organisations have been demanding that the laws be amended to permit and allow the Pak Hindus to find shelter in their own homeland, as they have nowhere to go.
And, on the other hand, here is a story of how the Government of India and its departments and its laws can permit a Pakistani Muslim to live under full police protection, eating the meals with cops in Police Lines itself, and enjoying the facility of two gunners.
During the Kargil War, Mohammad Idreesh, a Pakistani national entered into Indian territory, with a temporary visa, reportedly, on the pretext of visiting one of his ailing kin in Kanpur. And he was bold enough not to leave the country even after expiry of the Visa. Consequently, he was immediately arrested in Kanpur by the intelligence sleuths for violating Indian visa laws and international agreements. His presence in the country was felt more dangerous as the war with Pakistan in Kargil was in a critical stage at that time. But interestingly (and thanks to supple Indian laws) he was set free on bail within four days. However, the matter was pending for long and in due course the same court felt that his presence in the country might be detrimental to national security, and so decreed after 10 years that he be deported to Pakistan immediately. And the Government of India tried to send him to Pakistan, but that country refused to oblige and accept him back. Thus Idreesh was brought back, as the Pakistan government did not permit immigration, and the Indian government could not exercise appropriate pressure on Pak to make it accept its own citizen (once again, due to slack policy and laws of India). The matter could not be taken up by the authorities of the Home and Foreign Ministiries at the appropriate foras for his deportation.
The result being, he has been brought back to Kanpur, living under full protection of the government, has been provided two gunners for security, eating the two meals too with the cops themselves in police lines mess, like a state guest, while our own Hindu brethren ill-treated in Pak and desiring to take shelter in India are not permitted to stay honourably.
