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Human ashes finally given legal documents to travel to India

Sindhi Hindus welcome decision, demand visas at provincial level

By Amar Guriro 

KARACHI: Hundreds of Sindhi Hindus gathered to welcome the decision pertaining to the issuance of Indian visas to the Hindus of Karachi. Their happiness rests in the knowledge that now they would soon be able to take the ashes of their loved ones and immerse them in the River Ganges, in Hardwar.

However, they demanded that the Pakistan government talk to the Indian government so that the visas are granted to the rest of the people of Sindh too.

A large number of Hindus, especially those of Sindh, have been waiting for the last two decades to take the ashes of their elderly relatives to India so that they can be immersed in Ganges.

In Karachi alone, the ashes of about 130 humans are lying at a local cremation ground, as the Indian government was not issuing visas to the relatives of the deceased.

Hindus believe that for eternal transformation the body must be cremated and then the ashes must be immersed in holy water. For some the holy water is River Indus, as one of the holy Vedas was written on its banks, for some it is the Arabian Sea but for most Hindus it is the River Ganges. 

Owing to the tension between the two nuclear countries, Pakistan and India, visa procedures had been tightened and the situation had worsened to an extent where the people of the neighbouring countries could not obtain visas to travel across the border.

A famous organisation set up by Pakistani Hindus, namely Pakistan Hindu Foundation (PHF), launched a struggle in 2008 to force the Indian government to simplify the visa procedure for Pakistani Hindus, specially the Hindus of Sindh. PHF also approached the federal government of Pakistan, asking them to talk to the Indian government in this regard.

The Indian government finally caved in to the request and on June 25 announced that all the Hindus belonging to Karachi will be given visas so that they can perform the final rites for their relatives, that is immerse their ashes in Ganges.

The Indian Union Ministries of Home and External Affairs, agreed to issue the visas during a meeting with the South Asia Fraternity (Indian chapter) office bearers. 

The decision was welcomed by the Hindus of Karachi, apart from their apparent disapproval of the fact that not all the Hindus of Pakistan had access to the holy river.

Hundreds of Hindus from across the province gathered at Premnangar Colony, which is located opposite Karachi University, on Thursday night, to discuss the common issues faced by Hindus of Sindh. Addressing the gathering, PHF President D M Maharaj lauded the decision while adding that, “Sindh is not made up of Karachi alone and it houses only four districts of the province, while Hindus live in 19 other districts too. This announcement is unjust and visas should be extended to all the Hindus of the province, especially those in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Tharparkar and Sanghar district.”

He also welcomed the announcements made by the two ashrams at Hardwar that have opted to provide free accommodation and food to the visiting Pakistani Hindus during their stay.

PHF office bearers K L Sharma, Dharmshi Kolhi and others demanded that the ruling PPP government provide protection to Hindus in Sindh and to grant leases of Hindu colonies to them that are in Karachi. “There are 230 small residential colonies in Karachi, which are occupied by Hindus since the British era, but the Pakistan government has not issued a legal lease for these colonies, we strongly demand that a lease be granted,” said Maharaj.