Pandemic has put the Hindu migrants who have returned from Pakistan in a more precarious condition in Rajasthan as they are being denied covid treatment despite being highly vulnerable.
Plus, a general lack of medical defense, personal hygiene, and awareness regarding the virus further push them towards extremities.
Many Hindu migrants living in the eight districts of Rajasthan have been informed that they are struggling for beds, vaccines, and relief package from the government as they do not have proper documents to show their citizenship.
Baser Mal, a migrant from Sindh Pakistan who returned to India in 2007 died because of covid-19. Before him when another Hindu migrant was taken to hospital he was taken to two private hospitals in Jodhpur only to be denied a bed due to his non-citizen status. A total of seven people had died from a lack of proper medical aid.
Dr. Rajeev Bheel, who is a close relative of Mal, informed that people like Mal who do not have Indian citizenship had to struggle a lot even for basic treatment.
Dr. Bheel, a dentist from Hyderabad in Sindh was one of those lucky people who received his citizenship in 2016. However, according to the Foreigners’ Registration Office (FRO), there are over 22,000 migrants, who had already applied for citizenship, have become extremely vulnerable to covid.
Bheel said the absence of an Aadhaar card is preventing the local authorities from vaccinating them as it is mandatory to register on the Co-Win app with one of the seven photo identity cards, which include Aadhar Card, Driving Licence, Pan Card, Passport, Pension Passbook, NPR Smart Card and voter ID card to receive the vaccination, thereby making the process exclusionary especially for refugees.
Hindu Singh Sodha of Seemant Lok Sangathan that works for the rights of migrants from across the border said the migrants are left to fend for themselves most brutally and there’s no there has been no talk from the government’s side to include them in at least the relief packages related to food and shelter.
“Neither they are protected under free food schemes, nor any state insurance/health schemes. It is a matter of collective shame” there has been no talk from the government’s side to include them.
Sodha had suggested that the migrants be allowed to be vaccinated based on their Pakistan passport, long-term visas, and FRO registration documents.
Meanwhile, the local authorities are also trying to provide them assistance and the issue has been raised with state chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Home Minister Amit Shah
