Hold your Heads High with Dignity Now

New Delhi: “Now that the clouds of your sorrow have ceased, you should hold your heads high with dignity in India. India stands by you,” said Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, while addressing the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Christian and Buddhist refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan at Siri Fort Auditorium on January 5. The function was organised by Indraprastha Vishva Hindu Parishad (IVHP). Veteran Sangh Pracharak Shri Indrersh Kumar and working president of VHP Shri Alok Kumar were also present.

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad further said the inhuman oppression was perpetrated on non-Muslims in three neighbouring Islamic countries. “To save their life, dignity, liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship from regular Jihadi persecution and victimisation, these religious minorities from those countries came to India. The protests being mounted by anti-CAA elements to bully and to deny the refugee brethren Indian citizenship while worrying about the Rohingyas is nothing but pure vote bank politics. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is not taking away the citizenship of any Indian citizen. Everyone has a right for a peaceful protest in a democracy, but those who play with India’s security will not be spared,” he added. He said the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has been engaged for years in protecting the interests and ensuring the welfare of these people.

Shri Indrersh Kumar said we have embraced many persecuted religious groups and people from foreign countries who came to India seeking refuge, took care of them as our own brethren, but today, unfortunately, there are some people with vested interests who are opposed to giving justice to the victims! May God grant them good sense! He said during the protest against CAA, no country, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan said that minorities were not harassed and persecuted there. Also, none of the over 150 Christian countries, over 50 Muslim countries or 30 Buddhist countries of the world said that they would grant citizenship to the minorities of the said three Islamic countries. Only India has made a law to grant them citizenship. It should be appreciated worldwide instead of opposing it. He said India’s democracy would never accept violent, chaotic, unconstitutional, offensive, foul and anti-national behaviour masquerading as democratic protests. It will not accept ‘licentiousness’ masquerading as ‘liberty’ threatening national unity and territorial integrity of the country.

Shri Alok Kumar said it is a strong decision to grant Indian citizenship to the refugees who came to India due to persecution, and it will not be altered. If those opposing it have made up their mind to perpetrate violence, then both the Government of India and the society are capable of facing it. Referring to Shri Nankana Sahib Gurdwara incident in Pakistan, he asked those opposing the CAA if Pakistan’s daughter Jagjit Kaur seeks refuge in India, what would be their answer? He said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra goes to the houses of the violent anti-CAA protesters to empathise with them, but till date, she has never visited even a single refugee camp of the persecuted Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan! VHP central secretary Shri Prashant Hartalkar pointed out that only five-hundred Sikhs left in Afghanistan now and they too will have to come to India one day.

In the beginning, representatives of Pakistani, Afghani and Bangladeshi Hindus and Sikhs living in different areas of the Delhi narrated their miserable plights back in their Islamised native lands and expressed their gratitude and hailed Prime Minister Modi repeatedly for the CAA and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad for working for their safety, security and continued support in every matter. Rahul, a representative of Hindu refugees living in Rohini area of Delhi, said none should now call them ‘Pakistani’ as they were Indians with their roots in undivided India since the beginning of history and were not asked when partitioning the country.