Gandhi said: “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is temporary, the evil it does is permanent.” India has moved away from these principles and the land is accused of tyranny against the most vulnerable humans of India.
The Kashmir valley is burning, Delhi is in turmoil and now the immigrants are under siege. Amidst of all this, in August an incident happened in village of district Jodhpur! 11 Pakistani Hindu immigrants were found dead, under the roof of a rented farmhouse where the family harvested crops on a rented farm in Jodhpur Rajasthan, India.
Initially, the police dismissed the investigation by claiming it a mass suicide due to family dispute. The only surviving member of the family, Kewal Ram 37, was sleeping near the crops to keep guard, begs to differ.
It was found through forensic report of the victims, that there was no sign of struggle or burglary, high dose of sedatives were found in the victims and then pesticide was injected in them, as they slept to their deaths. The victims had injection marks on their hands except Lakshmi who had it on back of her foot. Why? No investigation yet.
The only survivor and potential suspect, Kewal Ram accused his in-laws to commit such horrendous act. The plot thickens when Shrimati Mukhi, daughter of the victim family, filed an FIR against Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) claiming them to responsible for their killings. This FIR was registered in Shahdadpur Police Station as a criminal case.
In her report she claims that the family went to India in 2012 and started living in Rajasthan where they were contacted by RAW. They were offered favors in exchange of anti-Pakistan statements. She would continue by stating that her family went to India to perform religious ritual where RAW helped them with residence in Jodhpur. (And talking about favors, it was not just residence they provided during investigation it was found that family was not citizen of the country yet they owned Aadhaar cards to their names). On August 9, she was conveyed about the news of their murder.
She also explained how her father was being forced into spying against Pakistan. When he refused, it became the reason of the family’s murder. This news cringed the hearts of village as it was frightening and harrowing. How can a family mysteriously succumb to their ends in the middle of night without anyone witnessing anything out of order?
The relatives of the departed souls appealed to the international human rights organizations, International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the international community in hopes of justice. Nothing has happened on that end and they family continues to seek answers.
It is interesting to mention here that the case which was initially being covered under the name of mass suicide had deeper and callous claims attached to it. Simultaneously, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said that Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi was in contact with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to ascertain more details regarding the incident, including the cause and circumstances of the reported deaths. To which a police official, Rahul Barhat, informed that forensic experts had been called in to assist with the probe.
Already tensive relationship marked the territories of both countries, and a case like this can only injure their relationship more. Where Pakistan cannot risk the safety of their minorities to whomit promises protection.The family were allowed refuge in India as it was hoped their lives and safety will be of utmost importance. As it stands, the new NRC/CAA based invitation to Hindus from regional countries are not a safe proposition. If Pakistani Hindus are not welcomed under the Modi leadership then there is an issue that needs to be addressed.
With India simply refusing to share information over the investigation, makes the matter more puzzling and raises cynical suspicions. Evidently Pakistan is not in mood of excuses here. In order to elucidate the importance of the incidence, Islamabad addressed a letter to the U.N. High Commissioner of Human Rights (UNHCR) and demanded an investigation into the murders.
Shireen Mazari said the objective of the letter was to ask about justice: “The extrajudicial executions by Indian security forces in Manipur have not been fully investigated, in violation of the state of India’s responsibility and obligation to carry out a prompt, thorough and effective investigation. In 2019, the UNHCR had called for “urgent progress” of investigations into these encounters.”
The letter’s objective was to request guidance and interference of UN to proceed with the fair and just investigation into the incident. India must respect international human rights law and cessation of impunity for such conducts which involve gross human right violations.
MNA and Patron-in-Chief of Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Kumar has said in a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, that Indian police are hiding facts about the Jodhpur incident in India. The foreign minister said protection of minorities is the top priority of the government and “we are deeply grieved over the killing of a Pakistani Hindu family in India”.
BoduRam who had four daughters, two of whom, including 38-year-old Lakshmi had done nursing courses in Pakistan before going to India. The other two girls were married to men of the same family in Jodhpur where the brothers’ wives hailed from.
Simple people making a simple life. The Pakistani immigrants who entered India on December 2015, were not citizens of the land but somehow, they did have Aadhaar cards. Seemingly harmless family conflicts made one of Boduram’s sons to even return to Pakistan. They made frequent visits here and there, calling on their extended families across the border. This made them vulnerable to the political conspiracy. Or do the immigrants need to learn the harsh fact that sometimes the grass is not green on the other side?
Some leaderships won’t understand the requirements of those who kept balance even when the borders were drawn among them. Countries with such closeness should be able to enjoy the liberty of freedom and expression of hospitality. With peace and sense of belonging to the world they live in.
To receive love is to give love.
