Hindu refugees from Pakistan, living in Majnu-Ka-Tila area here, on Tuesday celebrated the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha.
Speaking to , Dayal Das said: "I have been living here for about seven years. I came here in March 2013. Only my family including children came here. My father also came here but he died after a while. He was content as he felt that he was at least here at the time of his death."
"In Pakistan, I was living in Hyderabad, Sindh. When we came here, we hoped that we would get citizenship. It was a great day yesterday. We hope that the Bill is passed in the Rajya Sabha as well," he said.
Das said: "I own a shop here. My children are studying in school. We want cooperation from different political parties because we have left everything and came here so that our religion and our country are associated with us."
"When we came here, we had no house. I was helped by Nahar Singh, who resides in Bijwasan. Hindu Maha Sabha, VHP and Bajrang Dal also supported us. I thank them for their support," he said.
Sapna came to the national capital in 2005 with her family from Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. "I feel very happy now with the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha. If we get citizenship, then we can do agriculture work somewhere outside Delhi."
"Our children go to school. It will be better if we can work and settle outside Delhi. All said and done, the capital is a bit expensive place for living," she added.
Phoolwanti, a Class VII student, said: "I came here in 2013. I feel very good to be here. In Pakistan, there is a lack of education, especially they teach Muslim students mostly. Here we are getting a proper education. If we get citizenship, it will be great for us."
Even for Sona Das, life has an entirely different meng now. "I am very happy. We are not against anyone. We are Hindus. It is the duty of Parliament to give us citizenship," says Das, who came here in 2011, but some of her family members are still in Pakistan.
The Lok Sabha on Monday night passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill after a reply by Home Minister Amit Shah, who said the 'historic' legislation will liberate crores of refugees who have come from Pakistan, Afghstan and Bangladesh from adversities they have faced for decades.
( With inputs from ANI )