Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government in Madhya Pradesh has decided to grant citizenship rights to Hindu migrants living in Madhya Pradesh. Special camps are being held in Bhopal and Indore where senior officials from union home ministry, external affairs, district administration and police are working in close coordination to expedite citizenship to Hindus from Pakistan, who are staying in Madhya Pradesh. Some migrants’ long-term visas have expired.
These camps are organised following a meeting was called by the home ministry on December 12, 2014 in which representatives of all the State Governments were called to discuss the ways issuing of citizenship and long-term visas to Sindhis living in India.Notably, the migrants that mostly comprise Sindhi displaced of Pakistan in a large number, had been demanding for long to provide them citizenship of India. For several years, they had been demanding to provide citizenship to those, who have applied before 2009.
The BJP had been in principle favouring the demand of Sindhis and after the BJP came to power at Centre, with the initiative of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the process has been initiated. Indore-based BJP leader, who heads Migrant Hindu Help Centre (MHHC) and Indore Development Association (IDA) chairman Shankar lalwani said at present migrants have to regularly renew their visas.
The Sindhi community people, who have been immigrated to India, have been facing problems like regular renewal of Resident Permit (RP) and renewal of passport, which the Pakistan Government declines time and again. In Bhopal, a camp began on Thursday and would continue till Friday. Besides, a team from Union Home Ministry, officials from district Collector office, SP office and State Home department remained present during the camp.
Chouhan had been repeatedly assuring Hindu refugees from Pakistan that he would take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complete formalities to ensure that they continue to live legally in India. local legislator Rameshwar Sharma also raised similar issues for several years.