Delhi HC Asks DDA Not To Take Coercive Action Against Hindu Refugees At Majnu Ka Tila

 New Delhi: After the landmark announcement of the implementation of CAA across the country, now it is the Delhi High Court that has provided a big sigh of relief to Hindu refugees as it passed a directive on Wednesday to the Delhi Development Authority that no coercive action is to be taken against the 12-yr-old refugee camp of Pakistani Hindus on Majnu ka Tila near the Yamuna river.

The court has issued directions to the DDA that the refugee camp will not be moved till an alternate shelter plan is created for the refugees.

The court was dealing with a plea moved by one Ravi Ranjan Singh against the demolition drive, as on March 4, the DDA had put out Public notice all across the refugee camp asking the inhabitants to move out as early as 6th of March, failing which the DDA would demolish the same. 

Singh's counsel had submitted that the Pakistani Hindu Refugees have been living in Majnu Ka Tilla for many years, with basic facilities being provided by the authorities. According to Dharmvir Solanki, founder and in-charge of the Majnu ka tila refugee camp and a refugee himself,  it has been a tough journey for them since they moved across the border from Pakistan to New Delhi through Rajasthan in the year 2011. In Solanki's words, "We were living through hell in Pakistan. The Hindus were bullied, and harassed so many of our families have harrowing stories to tell. Our daughters as young as 10 years of age were being forcibly converted to Islam and also trafficked. Not just that, we were forced to eat Cow meat."

A major political furore has also broken out since the Indian govt decided to officially implement the CAA, the Citizenship Amendment Act, only a couple of days ago. Calling it an election agenda, the Delhi Chief Minister even went ahead and said, “The BJP has no jobs for our youth but are calling in Pakistanis from across the border and making them settle here”

Leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi and WB CM Mamata Banerjee have also shared anti-CAA sentiments

According to BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdev, “The opposition parties are just distorting the facts of CAA. Either they are unaware of what it consists of or they simply don't wish to know and peddle blatant lies. CAA is to give citizenship and not to take it away.”

While authorities say that Indian  Muslims have nothing to fear regarding CAA, the I.N.D.I bloc parties have been nevertheless parroting the same. With the implementation of the historic Citizenship Amendment Act and also now the High Court's verdict on the DDA demolition drive on the refugee camp, for now, the refugees are heaving a sigh of relief.

The Pakistani Hindu refugees have been living in Yamuna floodplains since 2011. The high court's direction to stay the demolition till an alternative shelter option has raised some hope for these 800-odd people while the Next hearing is scheduled for March 19. It is to be noted that CAA grants Indian citizenship to Hindus, Parsis, Christians, Jain, Sikhs and Buddhists coming in from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. This announcement has undoubtedly created a major stir across the country with India witnessing nationwide celebrations while voices of protest and dissent, mostly political continue to create some noise.