As Palkhis enter Pune, refugees perform Fugdi to mark World Refugee Day
Refugees from different countries residing in India celebrated World Refugee Day by performing fugdi dance, a traditional folk dance from Maharashtra, at Aga Khan Palace in Pune. They performed the dance as part of a programme organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday.
About 30 refugees from countries like Sudan, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iran, Yemen, gathered in Pune for the World Refugee Day event, held every year by the UNHCR on June 20, to honour refugees. 'We come from different countries. But we are a family,' said UNHCR project co-ordinator Jayant Patil.
The refugees then shared their hobbies, danced and displayed their skills from singing to martial arts, while promoting peace and humanity.
As the Palkhi processions were underway in Pune too, Patil talked about it with the refugees. He described how during Palkhis, people call each other mauli, which means mother, and perform fugdi, where he joined in with them on the dance.
Palkhi procession is a major spiritual event in Maharashtra when Warkaris of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj accompany the palanquin carrying the paduka (sacred footwear) of the revered saints to Pandharpur in Solapur district on foot.
At the event in Aga Khan Palace, the refugees also shared their experiences and problems. Aga Khan Palace houses the headquarters of Gandhi National Memorial Society (GNMS), which is a key partner of UNHCR in supporting refugees.
A gymnastics and yoga professional from Ukraine said, 'In India, a person from Ukraine and Russia can be together peacefully. We are humans first.' Speaking to The Indian Express, he said he has been residing in Goa as a refugee for the last few months.
A woman from Afghanistan, residing with her daughters as refugees in Pune said, 'I came to India with my daughter on a tourist visa in 2019. Soon, Covid started. We were stuck in India, our visa expired. Then the Taliban regime started in Afghanistan in 2021, where women have no rights. I was a teacher in Afghanistan. I cannot go back as there is a threat to my life. I manage to survive in India, but face severe financial problems.'
A professor from Yemen said, 'We are refugees. But we are fighters. Let us not stop fighting.'
A doctor from Afghanistan, who performed a Hindi song Zindagi Pyaar Ka Geet Hai, said he is highly qualified and even studied on a scholarship at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) Pune. He too asaid he could not go back due to threats to his life. His mother and he have been refugees in India for the last few years and are trying to resettle in a third country.
Anisha Acharya, UNHCR's assistant project officer in Pune said, 'Refugees from about 27 countries are residing in Maharashtra and Goa. We try to help them in the best possible ways.'
Chandan Haygunde is an assistant editor with The Indian Express with 15 + years of experience in covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has been associated with The Indian Express since 2007.
Chandan has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra.
While working on the 'Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation' in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He has done in-depth reporting on the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and hearings of the 'Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry'. ... Read More
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