At just four years old, Radha and her family left Pakistan and moved to India. Now, at 18, she is excited to vote for the first time in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections as a new Indian citizen. For Radha, voting means having a say in the country she proudly calls home. She is one of 300 Pakistani Hindus who have applied for voter IDs ahead of the elections, eager to participate in the democratic process.
These individuals were granted citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, in May 2024. Flanked by her aunts and mother, the timid teenager, expressed cautious optimism. “I got my citizenship certificate earlier this year. We recently applied for voter IDs. This would be the first time I would cast a vote like a true Indian. I hope whichever government comes to power lets us stay here and supports us,” she said.
Asked about local issues, Radha pointed to unemployment. “Yes, a lot of people are unemployed here. We feel there should be more job opportunities for us,” she said.
The Assembly elections in Delhi are scheduled early next year. However, unemployment and housing remain significant challenges for the residents of this camp, many of whom have lived here for over a decade but only recently received citizenship.
Most women in the community are housewives, while the men work as daily wagers or run small kiosks selling phone accessories. Elders hope that citizenship will unlock new opportunities, including stable jobs and farming prospects.
“Back in Pakistan, we were farmers. We ran from there to escape persecution. Here we are happy but lack land for farming. If the government could give us land on lease along the Yamuna, we could grow anything and provide for our families,” said 50-year-old Puran, who arrived in Delhi via train in 2013. Puran, who has two wives and 21 children, has married off 20 of them and wishes to secure land for farming.
“My children keep asking me to buy land so they can start farming, but we don’t have enough money. I hope the government helps us by giving us land on lease,” he added.
Dharamvir Solanki, the camp’s pradhan, noted that the settlement comprises 217 families, with around 1,000 individuals. “Additionally, 300 people have applied for voter IDs. We also have Aadhaar cards and hope to get ration cards soon,” said Solanki, who arrived in Delhi in 2013 with several Hindu families from Sindh, Pakistan, on religious visas.
Amid this, residents like Nanaki, grieving the loss of her mother-in-law, have echoed the community’s call for land to farm. “I don’t want a house or freebies. I just hope the government gives us land on lease so we can work and earn. If we earn, we can build houses ourselves,” she said. For these families, the upcoming elections carry the hope of stability, dignity, and the means to rebuild their lives in the country they now call home.
