Pakistani Hindu refugees in India now recall happy days in Peshawar (NWFP)

By PHP Staff
Monday, February 14, 2011

(Photo : Jagdish Lal with his family in Punjab, India)

AMRITSAR, India : Once a rich and prosperous young hakim, Jagdish Lal, who used to enjoy comfort and reputation in Peshawar, Pakistan, is now cramped up in a 6x6 feet ayurvedic clinic in a narrow street at Khandwala in Amritsar to barely make both ends meet.

Lal's ancestors, especially his grandfather Pundit Ganda Mal, was highly respected by the Pakistan's lawless tribes, who, despite his being a Hindu would call him to Jirga (panchayat) to settle disputes in the now forbidden tribal Orkazai Agency area of Pakistan.

Jagdish is one among many Pakistani Hindus living in various parts of Punjab, who fearing persecution at the hands of Muslim fundamentalists and the Taliban had arrived in India, leaving behind their plush properties and running businesses, to find a safe haven for themselves and their children.

His five children and wife Santosh vividly remember the holidays they spent in their walnut orchard in the tribal areas, but now the area was under the control of local Muslim fundamentalists who had threatened people like Jagdish to leave the country. As the Talibans advanced towards Peshawar, the family decided to move to India, leaving behind their belongings.

(Photo : Inside the Hindu Temple in Peshawar City of NWFP, Pakistan)

On October 2, 2008, Jagidsh Lal along with his parents, children, wife, brother, Bakshish Lal, and five more families had arrived in India aboard the Samjhauta Express and found shelter in Khandwala, where some of his relatives and friends were already living in Peshori Mohalla.

'Being a Pak national it was not easy to settle here as everyone looked at us with suspicion,' said Jagidsh, who paid a sum, which the family had brought from Pakistan, towards a rented house and Rs 25,000 as a goodwill amount for a shop in Putlighar, where he could run his ancestral ayurvedic medicine clinic.

In late 2009, Talibans started retracting from Peshawar due to Pakistan government's assault on them and the conditions started improving and Jagdish Lal decided to send his brother Bakshish Lal back to Peshawar to run the clinic as he couldn't find clientele for himself in Amritsar. 'But media, here, projected our migration in such a manner that back home in Peshawar other Hindus came under criticism even from moderate Muslims. So, we stopped talking to media,' said Santosh. 'Do you think I will send back my brother to danger, no, the conditions have improved there and he is running his clinic well,' he said.

Living on extended visa, here, in India, Jagdish Lal said he wants his children to settle here in India, but he would like to return to his roots since the conditions were far better in Peshawar.

Few interesting link below on Hindus in NWFP and FATA of Pakistan -

No More safe at home for the Pakistani Hindus

Taliban terror forces Hindus to flee Pakistan

 

The PHP Team

Sikhs seek compensation for terror losses in Pakistan, But No Hindus ?

By Mohammad S.Solanki (Executive Editor)
Friday, February 11, 2011

(Photo : Deserted Sikh Gurdawara in Abbottabad, NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa State of Pakistan)

Islamabad : Sikhs in Pakistan's Orakzai Agency bordering Afghanistan have asked the government to compensate the community for the huge losses inflicted on them by terrorists. 

A group of Sikh leaders said that terrorists had burnt 26 houses, 18 shops and some factories of their community, Dawn reported Monday. The leaders included Parjeet Singh, Mahan Singh, Siren Singh and Dilbar Singh.

Sikhs were forced to pay Jazia - tax levied on non-Muslims - totalling Rs.6 million to the guerrillas. But they were still forced to leave their homes following a steep increase in militant activities.

Orakzai Agency is in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in the northwest of Pakistan that bore the brunt of terror attacks.

The Pakistan Army battled the Taliban in the mountainous region, and the rebels were evicted from many areas after fierce fighting.

The majority of the displaced Sikhs have returned to their original areas but are leading a miserable life as they have lost their properties.

They have asked the government to compensate them.

Local official Riaz Mahsud said the administration had assessed the losses of Sikhs and forwarded the report to higher authorities.

India had in 2009 taken up the issue of treatment of minorities with Islamabad after the Taliban persecuted Sikhs in parts of Pakistan.

Militants had then demolished the homes of Sikhs in Orakzai region after they failed to pay Jazia. Over 35 Sikh families have lived in Ferozkhel in Orakzai Agency for decades.

The Taliban had also occupied two shops and three homes of Sikhs.

 (Photo : Hindu women's celebrating Lord Ramnavami or Bhagvan Ramchandra birthday in Peshawar City of NWFP, Pakistan)

Note from Editorial : Peshawar the capital of NWFP derives its name from a Sanskrit word Pushpapura, meaning the city of flowers. Peshawar is old, so old that its origins are lost in antiquity. Founded over 2,000 years ago by the Kushan Kings of Gandhara, it has had almost as many names as rulers.

In the 9th century the provincial capital was shifted by the Hindu Shahi kings to Hund on the Indus. After the invasion of Mahmood of Ghazni, all traces of gentle, artistic Gandhara were lost.

Historically in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa State (NWFP) or FATA Hindus have being living for centuries alone with various ethnics like Pashtuns and Hazara Muslims community with peace and harmony.Many of the old Hindu Peshawaris still wear their traditional Pathani kurta pyjamas and Pathani kulla turban. But since 9/11 in America things have changed here, Recently alone with many other communities Hindu community have also gone throw lot of persecution by extremist Taliban and also during war against terrorism led by Pakistani Army backed by western powers. Many poor Hindu families have either taken shelter/refugee in Peshawar Gurdwara (Sikh temples) or rich Hindus have opted for India.

Atrocities on Minority Hindus in Peshawar, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan
http://www.petitiononline.com/taxila01/

Rajesh Kumar (PHP Islamabad) : Among minorities, Sikhs and Christians groups have backup with government establishment and even International Sikhs charity groups from Canada,USA and UK are helping local Sikhs groups in Pakistan. But unfortunately no International Hindu charity organization has ever cared for Hindus in NWFP or mostly rest of Pakistan.

A.Randhawa (PHP NWFP) : These discrimination against Hindus and with no active functional Hindu Charity organization has encouraged many poor persecuted Hindus to either convert to Islam, Christianity or Sikhism or run toward secular India for survival.

Dayal Kakkar (PHP Peshawar) : During Talibanzation period many Hindus have migrated to India from FATA and NWFP areas and some have taken refugee in historical Sikh Gurdwaras or Temples in Peshawar City alone, where they have or are in process of converting day-by-day into Sikhism. Lack of unity among various fractional Hindus group like Balmiki samaj, Schedule Caste or Upper Caste has also led us in Delusion.

Ramesh Kumar (PHP Director) : Hindus need to be united and should equally demand for rights or compensation from Pakistan government in similar to Sikhs community or any other persecuted community in Pakistan. We will raise the issue in upcoming workshop in Islamabad soon held by HRF/SCRM of Pakistan.

Gopinath K.Rajput (Executive Editor) : In Pakistan mostly Christian and Sikhs missionary are active from beside of Muslims charity organizations, So Hindus are left with no option either migrate to India or some other safe places or just denounce there faith for charity help. International Hindu groups should come forward to show solidarity with small but very crucial Hindu community in north western Pakistan.

NOTE : PHP is presently connected to various Hindu groups in Peshawar and rest of NWFP. If any one has any question, comment or wants to contribute in any way is welcome to contact as (namastepakistan@gmail.com)

The PHP Team

Gor Khatri (Peshawar) - ancient Gorakshnath temple and place of pilgrimage of the yogis and Hindus of Pakistan

By Gopinath Kumar (Executive Editor)
Friday, July 30, 2010

(Photo : S.M. Jaffar identified it with the place of Hindu pilgrimage where they performed the Sardukahr ritual,shaving off heads)

Gor Khuttree is a neighbourhood of Peshawar city, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan.

History

Gor Khuttree (or Gor Khatri) in the ancient city of Peshawar was identified by Sir Alexander Cunningham with Kanishka Vihara (the Great Stupa of King Kanishka) while Professor Dr Ahmad Hasan Dani identified it with the place where the famous tower of the Buddha bowl once stood.

Prof. S.M. Jaffar, in his monumental book "Peshawar: Past and Present", identified it with the place of Hindu pilgrimage where they performed the Sardukahr ritual (shaving off heads).

The celebrated Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsang, who visited Gandhara in the early 7th Century CE, had paid glowing tribute to the city and the Great Stupa of Kanishka in his memoirs. He also talked about a site, which many historians argue refers to Gor Khuttree where "Buddah's giant bowl was kept".

Mughal Emperor Babar, who recorded its importance in his autobiography, visited the place.

We had heard stories about Gor Khatri, a holy place of the yogis and Hindus who came from long distances for pilgrimage and got their head and beards shaved there. At once I headed for Bigram (or present day Peshawar, saw its famed, ancient tree and surrounding countryside. But much as we enquired about Gor Khatri, our guide Kamari said nothing about it. However when we were almost back in our camp, he told Khwaja Muhammad Amin that Gor Khatri was in Bigram and that he had said nothing because of its confined cells and narrow passages. Khwaja Amin repeated his words to us. But we could not go back because the road was long and the day was spent.^[1]

Jehan Ara Begum, the daughter of Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan, converted Gor Khuttree into a caravanserai and named it Sarai Jahanabad. She also constructed a Jama Masjid, a sauna bath and two wells inside Sarai Jahanabad for the convenience of travellers.

The Sikhs converted the site into the residence and official headquarters of their mercenary general [Paolo de Avitabile]] who was governor of Peshawar from 1838-1842. They constructed a Hindu temple for Shiva there.

Gor Khuttree is a typical Mughal-era serai and is located on one of the highest points of Peshawar City. It is a fortified compound consisting of an area of 160 x 160 sq meters. It has two prominent gateways: one in the east and one in the west. The Gorakshanath Temple is situated in the centre, a network of cells and buildings in the southern and western side of the complex and a fire brigade building, which was built in 1917.

Dr. Farzand Ali Durrani initiated the first vertical excavations at Gor Guthrree in 1992-93 but his excavation work could not be completed due to lack of funds. However, he confirmed the city foundation went back to at least the 3rd Century BC.

The second round of excavations carried on until 2007 in the north eastern aspect of Gor Khuttree pushed Peshawar's age by another couple of centuries, officially making it the oldest living city in South Asia.
Excavation work on the site is currently suspended owing to shortage of funds.