कब कब बटा भारत

We all know that Islam is the Religion of Piece Peace. I have heard it so many times from SRK (Shahrukh Khan), that sometimes I feel that the word non-violence did not exist on this earth until Islam was founded.

Do read about the status of Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan. And do remember that in India, Muslims are paid from tax payers money to go to Haj.

And cry, if you voted for anti-nationalists / traitors.

Source : http://tribune.com.pk/story/135240/minorities-in-pakistan-no-public-holiday-for-hindus-for-festivals/

Minorities in Pakistan: No public holiday for Hindus for festivals

By Owais Jafri

Published: March 20, 2011

Hindu devotees pray during Holi celebrations at Swami Narayan temple
in Saddar, Karachi on March 19 2011. PHOTOS BY ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

MULTAN:  Hindus celebrated Holi, one of the community’s most significant religious festivals on Saturday. But while ceremonies were held across the country, the vast majority of Hindus did not take leave and went about their everyday chores.

While most employers are flexible about giving leave and government employees use off-days from their quotas, private companies cut salaries of those who avail the holiday.


“Minorities should have equal rights. Those working for the government should be given special leave,” says Shakuntala, whose husband works for a government office in Multan.


According to the Pakistan Hindu Council’s statistics for 2011, over seven million Hindus live in Pakistan. The figure is almost double that of Christians in the country who enjoy a public holiday on Christmas.


Ram, who is a senior member of the community from Rahim Yar Khan, said that it was regrettable that minorities were living in fear. “Even though the constitution says so, religious minorities in the country do not enjoy the same rights as those enjoyed by the majority,” he said.


While heads of state also send out felicitation messages for Eid and Christmas, no such greetings are made for Hindu festivals.


For Eids, special monetary announcements are also made but for Hindu festivals, only the government of Punjab announced special financial relief. The provincial government has given Rs5,000 to each Hindu family living in southern Punjab, where over 150 Hindu families live. However, in Sindh, where many more Hindu households can be found, no such fiscal measure was announced.


Over 97 per cent of Pakistan’s Hindus live in Sindh and Punjab.  “We have not received any stipend or other financial assistance even though this event is an important one for the community,” said Rajeev, a young labourer from Jacobabad.


While those with jobs are able to take days off, students, especially schoolchildren, almost always have to miss out on ceremonies to attend school.


“I wasn’t able to attend the ceremony because I had to attend class. I am very upset at missing out,” said Raas Damin, a student of grade 9 in Hyderabad.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2011.

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Very Sad - lack of refugee policy for Hindus escaping persecution and rape in Pakistan

Very Sad - lack of refugee policy for Hindus escaping persecution and rape in Pakistan
Reference-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Fearing-Taliban-Pak-Hindus-take-Thar-Express-to-India/articleshow/4992774.cms?
JAISALMER: In the past four years, some 5,000 Hindus may have crossed over from Pakistan, never to return. It has not been easy abandoning their homes, sometimes even their families, but they say they had no choice: they had to flee the Taliban. 

It started as a trickle in 2006, the year the Thar Express was flagged off. The weekly train starts from Karachi, enters India at Munabao, a border town in Barmer, and runs up to Jodhpur. In the first year, 392 Hindus crossed over. 

This grew to 880 in 2007. The next year, the number was 1,240, and this year, till August, over 1,000 have crossed over. They just keep extending their visas and hope to become Indian citizens. 

Incidentally, these are official figures. Sources say there are many more who cross over and melt in the local milieu. And officials have a soft corner for these people, most of whom have harrowing stories to tell. 

Ranaram, who used to live in the Rahimyar district of Pakistan's Punjab, says he fell prey to the Taliban. His wife was kidnapped, raped and forcibly converted to Islam. His two daughters were also forcibly converted. Ranaram, too, had to accept Islam for fear of his life. He thought it best to flee with his two daughters; his wife was untraceable. 

Dungaram, another migrant, says atrocities against Hindus in Pakistan have increased in the past two years after the ouster of Musharraf. "We won't get permanent jobs unless we convert to Islam." 

Hindu Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangathan, a group working for the refugees in Barmer and Jaisalmer, says there's unfortunately no proper refugee policy in India even though people from Pakistan reach here in large numbers. 

He said in 2004-05, over 135 families were given Indian citizenship but the rest are still living illegally in the country and are often tortured by police because they don't have proper citizenship certificates. "In December 2008, over 200 Hindus were converted to Islam in Mirpur Khas town of Pakistan. But there are several others who want to stick to their religion but there's no safety for them in Pakistan." 

Immigration officer at Munabao railway station, Hetudan Charan, says the arrival of Hindu migrants had suddenly increased as over 15 to 16 families were reaching India every week. "None of them admit they are to settle here but seeing their baggage, we easily understand,'' he said. 

Ravi Kumar, who was Barmer collector till his transfer two days back, said the government in 2007 had given permanent citizenship to a few Pakistani immigrants.