Resurgence Of Identity: What 9 August Means To A Hindu Tribal Refugee From Pakistan

They came to India fleeing religious persecution as Hindus in Pakistan. Now, some of those refugees are reclaiming their other identity as well — that of being tribals.

Thousands of Pakistani Hindu refugees in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur city recently took out a rally to celebrate ‘World Tribal Day’. They raised the chants of ‘Jai Johar’, which is widely used in tribal communities as a form of ‘salutation and welcome’.

When the 15th President of India, Droupadi Murmu, assumed office, she did it with a ‘Johar’ greeting to the country.

Dileep Kumar Bhil, one of the participants, told Swarajya that many rallies were taken out by the local tribal groups, both natives of India and those who have migrated from Pakistan, to celebrate this day and their adivasi identities. A large number of participants were Bhils.

He said India is not just a safe haven for them as Hindus, but also a place where they can partake in a resurgence of their identity in ways their elders have never known.

“I asked my parents if they knew about World Tribal Day or if they had ever seen such a celebration of our tribal identity. They said they had never seen or heard of anything like this in Pakistan, and neither did their parents,” said Dileep, adding, “Back in Pakistan, no one from my community can even imagine organising such a huge rally without fear.”

Dileep’s family migrated to India in 2013 when he was just 10. They are awaiting citizenship.

Bhils are one of the oldest and largest tribal groups in India. As per a theory, their name is derived from the word ‘billu’, which means bow in many Dravidian languages. They are traditionally known to be excellent archers and experts in guerilla warfare. However, in modern times, many are farmers and skilled sculptors.

“The people who come from the other side of the border are very skilled in our traditional crafts. But they have to sell everything they have to come this far. As a result, many women are unable to showcase their talent,” said Dileep.

Upon being asked what this migration meant for Bhil women, pat came the reply: “Being able to get education without fear.”

The Pakistan-displaced community in India share heart-rending stories of their life as second-class citizens in their native country over their religious identity.

Rajesh, another participant, told Swarajya, “Girls from our communities can’t even go to school safely in Pakistan. Yes, boys can. But even they can study only till XII standard and then look for means of employment. What makes their situation worse is that if those Pakistani Muslims find out that someone from our community is good at his craft and making money, they can kill him in a shootout.”

But things are different here, he said. “Not only men but also women can safely go to work here and generate some income for themselves.”

Pakistani Hindus are among the worst persecuted minority communities in the world.

The proportion of Hindus in Pakistan has consistently experienced a significant drop, declining from 15 per cent during the Partition era to around 2 per cent in 1951 to about 1.6 per cent now.

The community, especially tribals from Sindh, have been seeking refuge in India due to ongoing persecution since at least the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965.

Among them, Bhils are among the most marginalised and socio-economically underdeveloped. Bhils are employed as landless peasants in lower Sindh, having been trapped into bonded labour by upper-caste Muslim landlords. Many of these Hindu minorities are forcibly converted to Islam in Sindh.

Women in these communities suffer a worse blow. Many reports tell stories of girls, who are stolen from their families, forced to marry men over twice their age, raped and sold into human trafficking rackets.

It doesn’t help that some Islamic seminaries in Pakistan teach that forcibly converting Hindu girls is equivalent to Haj-e-Akbari (the highest religious duty for a Muslim).