Assimilate into Indian culture, Hindu immigrants from Pak told
Nagpur: The RSS' Mahanagar Sanghchalak (city chief), Rajesh Loya, has asked Hindu immigrants from Pakistan to assimilate into Indian culture and not remain an isolated group.
Immigrants from Pakistan are living in India on a long-term visa (LTV), with many applying for citizenship under the CAA or even through the regular process of naturalisation.
A recent order, following the Pahalgam killings, which asks them to apply afresh with their visa details at the Union home ministry portal, has left many anxious. Many of them have sought clarification from community leaders. Addressing their concerns, Loya asked them to adapt to Indian culture and not panic needlessly.
Many Hindu immigrants admitted that they were not well-versed in Hindu ways of life, especially the cultural nuances, because of their stay in Pakistan.
"It's because many of them spent a large part of their life in Pakistan and could not learn much about Hindu culture," said Rajesh Jhambia, the secretary of Sindh-Hindi Panchayat, the NGO which helps the immigrants.
"Of course, many of them watched the episodes of Ramayana and Mahabharata on video cassettes, but they did not have an in-depth knowledge of Indian customs. There was little scope to learn either," said one of them.
Loya told TOI that he wanted to tell the immigrants to leave the past behind and look forward to what lies ahead. "They have left Pakistan behind following the troubles they endured in the country. Now in India, they have this opportunity to start afresh. They should learn Indian culture and rise beyond caste and creed to work for the upliftment of society," Loya said.
Later, addressing the gathering, Jhambia said LTV holders need to apply at the Union home ministry portal before July 10. Anyone living on an LTV and not granted Indian citizenship must apply on the new portal. There are over 2,300 LTV holders in Nagpur, and failure to apply afresh before July 10 can lead to action.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Banke Bihari Corridor: Mathura admin draws up rehab scheme
: Amid the Goswamis' vocal opposition to the Banke Bihari Corridor plan, the Mathura district administration has come up with a scheme to rehabilitate the sevayats or servitors (the Goswami community members engaged in prayers and priestly duties) at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan. The plan envisages accommodating the sevayats at Rukmani Vihar in Vrindavan. The Uttar Pradesh government's decision to form a trust to manage the Banke Bihari Temple and oversee the construction of the corridor has met with strong opposition from the Goswami community, the hereditary priests who have managed the temple for centuries. They view this as a government 'takeover' attempt, eroding their traditional authority and control over the temple's affairs. In the context of Hindu temples, sevayats are individuals or families who are responsible for performing various ritual services and duties related to the deity and the temple. Their position is hereditary. The Supreme Court has given the go-ahead for the Banke Bihari Corridor, an ambitious plan to ease crowd congestion and enhance the pilgrimage experience around the shrine. The state government has brought an ordinance to create a Trust to run the temple and oversee work of the proposed corridor. After the recent visit of Awanish Kumar Awasthi, the special advisor to chief minister, to Vrindavan on June 6, the work for the proposed Banke Bihari Corridor has gathered pace. The Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority has selected land in Rukmani Vihar and Sunrakh Bangar for a residential scheme to rehabilitate 275 families to be affected by the Banke Bihari corridor, Mathura district magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said on Wednesday. 'The work for the proposed Banke Bihari Corridor to enhance facilities for lakhs of devotees coming to the Banke Bihari Temple is attaining pace. Physical verification is being conducted for land measuring 5.5 acres required for the proposed corridor. Alongside this, we have drafted schemes to rehabilitate those to be affected by the corridor,' the Mathura DM said. 'The district administration will offer to settle the land owners affected by the corridor at Rukmani Vihar and Sunrakh Bangar in Vrindavan. The land has been selected and flats will be brought up in a residential scheme. The work is to be undertaken by Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority,' Singh said. 'The 275 land owners to be affected by acquisition of land for Banke Behari corridor include 200 shopkeepers. These shop owners will be allocated shops within the Banke Bihari corridor and compensation will be provided on the basis of land and shops being affected. Those affected by the corridor will be provided the option to settle in a common region for which a residential scheme has been worked out,' Chandra Prakash Singh said. Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority vice chairman Shyam Bahadur Singh said, 'We plan to construct 325 to 350 flats, both 1 BHK and 2 BHK, on four big plots at Rukmani Vihar Residential Scheme. If required, the number of flats will be increased by marking out adjoining land. Further, land measuring 3.5 acres has been selected at Sunrakh Bangar in Vrindavan.' 'Plots measuring 3924.91 square metres, 2844 square metres, 1800 square metres and 1504 square metres have been selected in Rukmani Vihar where 325 to 350 flats are to be developed under Group Housing Scheme having 1 BHK and 2 BHK flats,' he said. 'A design has been planned for flats to be constructed for affected families because of the corridor. Houses in Rukmani Vihar are on top priority,' said Arvind Kumar Dwivedi, secretary of MVDA. When asked about the proposal, Rajat Goswami, the former vice-president of the erstwhile managing committee at the Banke Bihari Temple (defunct after a court order), stated that the district administration has not communicated any such rehabilitation plan to them and they are not in position to react as of now. 'The district administration is in conversation with us on various aspects, but has not communicated any such plan in writing to us. The stakeholders should be taken into confidence before making such plans public,' Rajat Goswami said. Earlier, seeking a consensus on the proposed Banke Bihari Corridor project, Awasthi held meetings with local residents, traders and Goswamis (priests) in Vrindavan on June 6. On May 15, the Supreme Court paved the way for a state government scheme to develop the Banke Bihari Corridor for the benefit of devotees. The apex court also allowed the state government to use temple funds to purchase five-acre land for the corridor. The state government on May 27 constituted a Trust to manage the Banke Bihari temple and oversee the work of the proposed corridor.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
In west UP, Yogi recalls Kairana exodus, reasserts ‘batenge toh katenge pitch'
: Reasserting his 'batenge toh katenge' pitch in western Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday recalled the Hindu exodus from Kairana and Kandhla, an issue that had gained prominence in 2016 and played out in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls which the BJP won, marking the beginning of Adityanath's innings as CM. Yogi Adityanath made the remark during his address at the Sant Samagam and Satsang event at Shukteerth, Muzaffarnagar. The Kairana and Kandhla migration controversy, often termed the 'Hindu exodus,' refers to claims of mass migration of Hindu families from these towns in Shamli district of western Uttar Pradesh between 2014 and 2016. The then BJP MP Hukum Singh had alleged in June 2016 that over 346 Hindu families fled Kairana, and later 63 from Kandhla, due to threats and extortion by Muslim criminals, notably Mukim Kala. A National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report partially supported the claims, stating some families left due to fear. The controversy, amplified before the 2017 UP elections but was criticized as a BJP tactic to polarise voters. Hukum Singh partially backtracked on his initial claims about the 'Hindu exodus' from Kairana and Kandhla in UP. Singh later clarified on June 14, 2016, that the migration was 'not communal' but due to law and order issues and threats by goons. He omitted the word 'Hindu' from the Kandhla list's title and acknowledged the issue was about crime, not religion, though he stood by the lists' core claims. Seen as a call for unity and warning against social divisions, the phrase 'batenge toh katenge' (if we divide, we will be cut/destroyed) is a political slogan frequently used by Adityanath and other Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. It is often accompanied by the slogan 'Ek rahenge toh nek rahenge' (if we stay united, we will remain well/prosperous).' Adityanath himself first used the slogan in August 2024 and subsequently in the Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls and the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls. Adityanath's remarks, seen as a counter to Akhilesh Yadav's PDA (Pichde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) campaign, are expected to resonate in his future addresses too. For his part, the chief minister, who was speaking at the 65th death anniversary of Sant Swami Gyan Bhikshuk Das Ji Maharaj and in memory of Satguru Samandas Ji Maharaj in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday, said unity, inspired by the teachings of saints, is the antidote to such societal fractures. 'When the country was struggling under foreign invasions during the medieval period and its culture and religion were under attack, Satguru Ravidas Ji emerged as a divine light.' Ravidas led by example, offering the nation spiritual guidance that still resonates today, he said. 'Guru Ravidas and Swami Bhikshuk Das have shown us the path of unity, which prevents incidents like Kairana and Kandhla,' Yogi Adityanath told a large gathering. 'This path ensures our security, progress, and strength in all circumstances.' 'He (Ravidas) raised awareness against social evils and blind practices, inspired faith in action over ritual, and kindled spiritual consciousness,' Adityanath said, and quoted Ravidas's famous saying, 'Mann changa to katoti mein Ganga' – If the mind is pure, divinity resides even in the smallest vessel. Highlighting the BJP-led government's efforts, he noted the transformation of Sant Ravidas's birthplace in Seer Govardhan, Varanasi. 'Before 2014, it was accessible only by a single-lane road. We built a four-lane highway, a grand ashram, a magnificent statue, an 'Anna Kshetra,' and a park,' he said. He credited PM Narendra Modi's vision, citing the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which provides free food grains to 81 crore people, as a realisation of Ravidas's dream of equality. Describing Shukteerth as a sacred site where Shukdev narrated the first Shrimad Bhagavat 5,000 years ago, Adityanathi called Sanatan Dharma the only tradition with such an unbroken spiritual legacy. He announced infrastructure upgrades for the Samandas Ashram, including a ghat, widened roads, beautification, parking, and a satsang hall. He praised Ravidas's guru, Sant Ramanand, for spreading the message: 'Jaat-paat poochhe nahi koi, Hari ko bhaje so Hari ka ho (No one asks about caste, those who worship Hari become one with Hari).' The chief minister criticised past governments for neglecting Babasaheb Ambedkar's legacy, noting that PM Modi established the Panchteerths and declared November 26 as the Constitution Day. Shukteerth, or Shukratal, in Muzaffarnagar draws pilgrims from across India. Nestled along the banks of the Ganga River, the destination lies approximately 28 kilometres from Muzaffarnagar. Those present at the event included Mahant Govardhan Das Maharaj, Swami Omanand Maharaj, Nirmal Das Maharaj, MP Chandan Chauhan, ministers Anil Kumar, Kapil Dev Agarwal, Somendra Tomar, former MP Sanjeev Balyan, and MLAs Rajpal Balyan, Vandana Verma, Mithilesh Pal, and Vikram Saini.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
PM Modi 3.0: Can the government deliver on jobs and private investment?
As the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has completed 11 years in power, a key question looms over its economic legacy - has the Indian economy truly performed well under its watch? While supporters point to improved macroeconomic stability, critics often highlight the lack of progress in job creation and private investment. An analysis of key economic data provides a mixed but telling picture of the country's journey so far and the road of the most prominent indicators used to evaluate a government's economic record are GDP growth and inflation. During the UPA era (2004–2014), GDP growth averaged 6.8 percent. Under the Modi government, which took office in 2014, the average stands slightly lower at 6.2 percent. However, if the outlier years of the COVID-19 slump in 2020–21 and the subsequent rebound in 2021–22 are excluded, the adjusted average under Modi rises to 7.1 another major talking point - especially under the UPA government - has been a mixed story. During the UPA years, inflation averaged 5 percent. Under Modi, the number has been higher at 8.1 percent, although this increase is partly attributable to global volatility and changes in inflation benchmarks. Despite this, the Modi administration has received praise for maintaining relative stability in food prices, thanks to improved supply chains and quicker policy One factor that played a quiet but crucial role in controlling inflation has been the global crude oil price. When the Modi government came to power in June 2014, the Indian crude oil basket was priced at USD 107 per barrel. By June 2025, the price had dropped to US 67.38 per barrel. Despite the depreciation of the rupee over the years, the rupee cost per barrel is now 11 percent lower than it was 11 years ago. This favourable trend has significantly helped in managing inflation to leading economists, several macroeconomic indicators suggest that India's economic fundamentals remain strong. Inflation is within the Reserve Bank of India's comfort zone. Corporate and banking sector balance sheets are healthier compared to a decade ago. Fiscal data is transparent, the current account deficit is within manageable limits, and public debt remains low. India is expected to grow at 6.5 percent in FY26, although global uncertainty continues to pose two persistent concerns threaten to overshadow these achievements - sluggish private sector investment and a lack of formal job creation. These issues gained significant traction in recent state elections and were a major talking point during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. With rising automation, AI, and tech adoption, employment opportunities - particularly in the formal sector - are becoming scarcer. The government is increasingly looking to the private sector to generate jobs, but private players have indicated they need more policy of the bottleneck lies in unfinished reforms. Two major reform areas - land acquisition and labor codes - remain mired in political resistance. The Modi government's initial attempt at land reform in 2014 was rolled back after widespread protests. Although labor codes have been passed by Parliament, their implementation remains stalled as several states have delayed India moves to sign more free trade agreements, these structural reforms become more pressing to ensure competitiveness and sustained economic roadblocks don't end there. Plans for privatization and asset monetisation - once touted as critical to funding infrastructure and reducing the fiscal burden - have been put on hold. With coalition politics making a comeback in Modi's third term, such strategic initiatives may now require more political negotiation. However, with a fresh mandate and regained political capital, the government may accelerate action in the coming challenges continue to emerge. The World Bank recently revised India's GDP forecast for FY25 down to 6.3 percent from an earlier estimate of 6.7 percent, attributing the cut to weaker global demand and a slowdown in investment growth. Nevertheless, India is still expected to be the fastest-growing major economy in the world. The World Bank also highlighted positive trends such as contained inflation, improving fiscal indicators, and a slow but steady decline in public debt. It recommended lowering tariffs and strengthening fiscal discipline to stimulate global economic Modi 3.0 begins, the economic path forward is lined with both opportunities and challenges. While India's macroeconomic foundation appears resilient, the missing piece - jobs and private investment - will be the key to sustaining long-term growth and addressing rising voter Watch
