(Reported By KJ Srivatsan)
Jaipur: The recent escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan has started affecting the lives of ordinary people, especially those caught in the crossfire of diplomacy and displacement. Both nations have issued directives asking each other’s citizens to leave the country. While the move may be political, it has turned into a crisis for Pakistani Hindu refugees who came to India seeking peace and dignity.
One such story is that of 23-year-old Shamon, who came to Jaipur with her husband and children a year ago. Haunted by the atrocities faced by Hindu minorities in Pakistan and anxious about her children’s future, she hoped for a better life in India. But following the Pahalgam incident, as relations between the two countries worsened, her life took a tragic turn. Today, she finds herself alone with her three young children, as her husband Sanwalram is stranded in Pakistan.
Sanwalram returned to Pakistan using the NORI Visa when his father needed medical treatment. Sanwalram was expected to travel back on March 29. The visa service suspension keeps Sanwalram locked inside Pakistan, as he planned to return on March 29.
“They said would be back in a month… now they are saying it could take 8-10 months. I’m worried for the children and for myself,” Shamon says with visible distress.
Shamon married Sanwalram in 2016. Sanwalram and Shamon once shared a bond of marriage, but now fate has driven them apart since they live in different countries without any solution to bring them back together. The religious persecutions in Pakistan had forced Sanwalram to migrate with his three brothers and their families to Jaipur to start a new life as a tailor.
Sanwalram’s younger brother, Krishnaram, is deeply troubled about the situation. “What can we do now? We have no idea when they’ll return. Only God can help,” he says.
According to officials, the Noori visa is issued to individuals on long-term visas in India who need to visit Pakistan temporarily for personal reasons. But now, what was once a gateway has become a trap. Pakistan is reportedly treating Sanwalram as its citizen and is not allowing him to return to India.
India-Pakistan political tensions have resulted in widespread suffering of ordinary citizens. National borders create a vital issue when seeking peace because they may impede genuine human relationships. Children, together with other innocent lives, face life-threatening situations.
