Attari, August 13: Amidst confusion over the travel plans of 223 Pakistani Hindus who arrived in India in two batches on Friday and Saturday following reports of their persecution, another Hindu family - husband, wife and four children from Sibi district in Balochistan (Pakistan) said goodbye to their friends, relatives and their country with the intent to settle in India.
The family which arrived at the Attari International Railway Station on board Samjhauta Express on Monday, was quite vocal on their plans.
"Pakistan se gila nahin, wahan kae bashindo se gila hai" (We have no complaint from Pakistan but its people) said Mukesh Kumar while talking to TOI .
A grocery shop owner in Sibi, Mukesh said Pakistani immigration officials were so skeptical of the visit of Pakistani Hindus to India that before letting them board Samjhauta Express at Wagah on Monday, they were made to give a written undertaking that they were not harassed in Pakistan and would return.
An emotional Mukesh said he had sold his house and other belongings before leaving Pakistan. "I know my relatives are there and they could be harassed but I had to save my and the life of my family, they might also leave Pakistan one day," he said adding that hundreds of Hindu families were keen to migrate to India.
He said he would now go to Indore to seek help from his cousin who lived there.
Mukesh spoke of the terror in Balochistan where gun-wielding motorcyclists often came to their shops and demanded huge money and went to houses to harass Hindu ladies and took away their ornaments.
Following reports of insecurity among Hindus and their possible mass exodus from Sindh and Balochistan, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari had constituted a three-member committee comprising of senator Hari Ram, member National Assembly Lal Chand and law minister Maula Baksh Chandio to express solidarity with Hindus on behalf of his government and instill a sense of security among them.
Meanwhile, eight-year-old Pranjal Pari, daughter of Mukesh doesn't know that the family has left Pakistan forever. But there was pain in her voice when she said "In school I never played with other (Muslim) girls and remained aloof ."
"Mujhae dar lagta hai , kabhi kuch no kuch hota rehata hai" (I am scared , something keeps on happening) she said.
Echoing her thought was brother Shwet Ahuja who said it was difficult to mix with other boys of his age as they were discriminated.
Mukesh's wife Sumen Devi said they had decided to move India for good after one of their relatives Ravi Kumar was kidnapped by unidentified miscreants and when the family failed to meet their demand of ransom they sent back his dead body after two and half months.
"Mujhe nahi jana wapis ab, bahut ho gaya" (I wouldn't go back, it is enough," she said while wiping her tears.
Mukesh said police did register their cases but didn't do anything to trace the culprits.
Suhani, another Hindu girl who arrived in India remarked sarcastically, "We are very secure as we don't go out of the home and if there is need to move out we wear burqa". She, however, said she had not arrived here to settle but for meeting relatives.
Vashdev , another Hindu from Pakistan said that he had heard of some incidents but didn't know where.
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