Gurjars offer marriage, land to displaced Pak Hindus

Lucknow, Jan 7: Offering to help Pakistani Hindus who have taken refuge in the country, Gurjar community in UP's Saharanpur district has drawn up plans to facilitate their rehabilitation and is encouraging marriages between local youths and girls from the displaced families.

The campaign is backed by local BJP leaders including MP Raghav Lakhanpal. "We have come to know from media reports the pathetic condition of Hindu girls in Pakistan. We have appealed to our youths, who are ready to marry them," BJP leader Vashisth Gaur, who is leading the campaign, said, while referring to allegations of harassment and forced conversions of the community members in that country.

He said a delegation of local Gurjar leaders will visit refugee camps in Delhi on January 9 with the proposal. "Senior members of our community have already spoken to them (Pakistani Hindu families). Gurjars have also offered free land and houses to Pakistani Hindus living in such camps," Vashisth said.

The campaign also has support of local BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal. "Our MP has offered all help for the purpose as Hindu families living in such camps are living a difficult life. If someone is offering youths to marry girls of Pak Hindu families, it should be facilitated and the MP has taken the right step," state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

Vashisth claimed that a number of meetings have been held in Miragpur village, having population of 10,000 mostly from Gurjar community, and they got "tremendous response" from youths and their families, which have volunteered for marriage with Pakistani Hindu girls. "Many Gurjar families are contacting us to save the honour of Pakistani Hindu girls by marrying their sons with them. We have even got the statements of these families published in local media and seeing it many more are coming forward for the noble cause," he said, adding that they would encourage more Pakistani Hindus to marry their daughters in India.

Villagers of Chandana Keli, he said, have given written consent to provide at least 20 bigha land to those desiring to settle in their village and help them construct houses. "After meeting refugee families in New Delhi, we will approach Ministry of External Affairs to make necessary arrangements for those Pakistani Hindus, who are willing to marry off their daughters, to visit India," Vashisth said.

PTI