Voices of the Unheard: Abstract

I spent a few weeks interning with the Universal Just Action Society, interviewing and interacting with members of the Hindu Pakistani migrant community in Rajasthan, India. I present the abstract of my research and a personal account. Stay tuned for more…

There exists an undeniable population of Hindu minority Pakistanis who have migrated into India, a Hindu-majority state, because of religious discrimination.Yet, once there, their lives do not get much easier. They are frequently denied citizenship, without which they do not have access to many services and facilities to satisfy their personal needs nor wants. They are a marginalized population in India and furthermore, terribly neglected. Their concerns are unheard by the public, especially those pertaining to mental well-being. People ignore the hardships and the treacherous journey the community went through (and continue to go through) in order to be in India. This study is concerned with the following questions: What kind of injustices and challenges does the Pakistani migrant population face in the displacement from their homeland and neglect from the country they took refuge in? How do their struggles affect their mental health? What kind of help do they want/need? What is the root of their pain? Ultimately, what can be done so the community is heard and helped? The study has tried to lend an ear to various voices from the field regarding their experiences of migration and present their unheard stories as evidence of a unique and traumatic human experience.

“We cannot be compensated, but we cannot go back either”

A migrant was driving me back to my homestay. He mentioned that he would be traveling illegally the next day to Barmer because that is one of the many mobile restrictions migrants have. Legally, he is not allowed to leave the city at such short notice. He has to go to a wedding, so he is risking the trip. He then told me that he was currently driving illegally as well, without a license. When I stared at him in disbelief, he exclaimed, “We need to live illegally to simply live.” If he gets caught, he will pay the small fine. He expressed that the fear of getting caught is much less compared to the fear of religious persecution they were facing in Pakistan. He explained that the Indian government is hesitant to provide the migrants with rights. As India is a secular nation, they would have to give all Pakistani nationals rights, not just the Hindu migrants. India, like the United States, fears Pakistani fundamentalists. India is scared that if it granted rights to all Pakistani nationals the good and the bad would come and take advantage of the situation.

“We had to start from zero”

Each migrant interviewed expressed such personal, unique experiences with their migration. Most said they faced identity crisises, emotional pain, and financial difficulties. Others validated their belongingness in India. In addition to each of their accounts, the undeniable reality is the incredible sacrifices they made and continue to make for their children and children’s children. Uprooting oneself from their home country is difficult, argueably one of the most difficult tasks a person can do. Even after 30 years of moving to a new country, locals may not accept you.

“We are alone here. We are torn here.”

This is simply a small sliver of the full voices of the migrant population. There is more detail in my paper, but even still. It barely scratches the surface of the complexity and depth of this intense social negligence.