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Indian Express
07-08-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
‘Nothing left to hold me back now': Doctor who came from Pakistan in 2009 granted Indian citizenship
In 2009, when he arrived from Pakistan to India, Dr Nanikraz Khanoomal Mukhi had few possessions. But what he had was immense hope in his heart – to give his family a better life, away from the 'discrimination' they faced back home. 'It feels like everything I had been struggling for is finally here. There's nothing left to hold me back. Now, I can get an Aadhaar card and live my life not as a stateless person, but as a rightful citizen,' Dr Mukhi said. Presently living in Sardar Nagar, Ahmedabad, Dr Mukhi, who hailed from Hyderabad of Sindh province in Pakistan, arrived to India on a visitor visa 16 years ago. He said he used to face discrimination in Pakistan since he was a Sindhi Hindu minority there. A qualified doctor, Dr Mukhi completed his MBBS from Liaquat Medical College, Karachi, and holds a Diploma in Sonography from Jinnah Medical College, also in Karachi. After arriving in India, he secured a Long Term Visa (LTV). On August 20, 2016, he submitted an application for Indian citizenship under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. On July 11, 2017, Dr Mukhi received a letter from the Office of the Collector and District Magistrate, Ahmedabad, acknowledging his application registration. On March 30, 2021, he formally renounced his Pakistani citizenship and surrendered his passport to the Embassy of Pakistan in New Delhi. 'They told me to pay the challan (fee) and said my citizenship will be processed within 15 days,' said Dr Mukhi. Dr Mukhi's wife Bhoji Bai, who had applied for citizenship alongside him, was granted the same on March 9, 2022. His daughter Nandita Das, currently pursuing MBBS at B J Medical College in Pune, was granted citizenship on October 16, 2024. His brothers Bhojo and Washu Mukhi, and sister Vijayanti Mukhi, were also granted citizenship. His application, though, remained pending, ostensibly on account of a pending intelligence report. His son Kabir, currently studying MBBS in Kota, has applied for citizenship under Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. His youngest son Ranjit, who just completed Class 12, remains a Pakistani citizen. After making several follow-ups and repeated visits to the office of the DM, Dr Mukhi chose to approach the Gujarat High Court earlier this year, under Articles 14, 21, and 226 of the Constitution of India, along with Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955. 'It's a bureaucratic paradox. I'm not a Pakistani anymore, and I'm not yet Indian. So, I fall through every crack in the system,' Dr Mukhi had earlier told The Indian Express. In 2023, Dr Mukhi cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) under the National Medical Commission and began practising in Rakhiyal, Ahmedabad. However, in October 2024, his clinic Jhulelal Sonography was sealed by the AMC Health Department (North Zone) on the grounds that he lacked registration with the Gujarat Medical Council, a process which, according to Dr Mukhi, is not possible without Indian citizenship. Since then, he had been making ends meet by doing odd jobs in allied fields. Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Ashwin Kharadi, Deputy Health Officer for the North Zone, said that the clinic was sealed by his predecessor. Speaking to The Indian Express, advocate Ratna Vora, representing Dr Mukhi, said, 'The application for citizenship had been pending since 2016. The petitioner filed another application in 2021, which was rejected. Thereafter, in 2024 he applied again and the matter was pending as they said they had not received the report of the Intelligence Bureau. We received the certificate today (Thursday), which means his application has been accepted and citizenship granted with effect from August 5. He is happy and relieved…' On Thursday, when Dr Mukhi's matter came up for hearing, Justice Niral Mehta orally said to his counsel, 'They (respondents)have granted the certificate (of citizenship).' The court was referring to the Certificate of Registration issued by the DM and District Collector of Ahmedabad on August 5, which was handed over to the petitioner on Thursday. The certificate stated, 'In exercise of the powers conferred upon the undersigned… this is to certify that the person whose particulars are given below has been registered as a citizen of India under the provisions of Section 5(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.' Citizenship in India is governed by the Citizenship Act of 1955. This Act outlines how a person can acquire Indian citizenship — by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, or when a new territory becomes part of India. (Jay Jani is an intern with The Indian Express, Ahmedabad)
The Wire
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Vandalism of Karachi Bakery and the Weaponisation of Food to Portray a Shallow Form of Patriotism
A branch of the famous Karachi Bakery in Shamshabad locality of Hyderabad was vandalised by workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on May 10, amidst the then ongoing Operation Sindoor. The attackers, who wore saffron shawls were seen stepping on Pakistani flags and specifically vandalising the name 'Karachi'. Karachi Bakery was established in 1953 by Khanchand Ramnani, a Sindhi Hindu who migrated from Karachi to Hyderabad following the partition of India in 1947. He named the bakery as a homage to his hometown. Over the years, Karachi Bakery has become a part of the culinary fabric of Hyderabad, famed for its biscuits, especially the Osmania Biscuit. It has also emerged as a pan Indian brand, with branches in various cities across the country. Multiple attacks on Karachi Bakery over the years In the past few years, Karachi Bakery has had to face multiple attacks and protests from right wing forces only because of its name. In 2019, in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, the shop was vandalised. Both in 2019 and 2025, one of the owners had to come and clarify that they have no links to Pakistan. Moreover, in 2019, a group of people claiming to be from a human rights organisation covered the bakery's name in one of its branches in Ahmedabad. In 2021 the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led a protest outside the bakery's Bandra outlet in Mumbai to demand that its name be changed, which eventually led to the outlet's shutting down. Every time there is a conflict with Pakistan, Karachi bakery has to pay the price. 'We request the Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and senior officers of administration to support to prevent any change in the name. People are putting up Tricolour in the outlets of the bakery across the city, kindly support us as we are an Indian brand and not a Pakistani brand,' the owners issued a statement after the latest incident last month. Despite the repeated attacks over years, the owners have continued to stay in the business and even expanded to the quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit. The owner of a general store in Mumbai's Chembur says that there has been no change in the demand for Karachi Bakery products, especially the Osmania and fruit biscuits. A screengrab showing people vandalising the Karachi Bakery. Photo: X/@anusharavi10. So, if consumers are not hesitant in buying their products, it begs the question that who really has a problem with them and why? Why is it that a well known beloved Indian bakery is associated with Pakistan and consequently portrayed as a villain? This is not the only instance of food being weaponised in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor in the past few weeks. In an attempt to contribute to the patriotic fervour, Tyohaar sweets and Bombay Mishtan Bhandar of Jaipur declared that they are dropping the word 'Pak' from all their sweets like Mysore Pak and Moti Pak, assuming it stems from 'Pakistan'. Tyohaar Sweets declared they will replace it with the word 'shree'. 'People who think that pak is somehow related to Pakistan are so ignorant. It shows that they have no awareness about south Indian culture, language and practices. Paaka in Kannada means the sticky, sweet syrupy base that holds the sweet together, sometimes soft, sometimes chewy, sometimes hard, based on what people prefer. There are thousands of words with pak in them. Are all these names going to change and are those changes going to make one more nationalistic or ensure the security of the country?' Dr. Sylvia Karpagam, a renowned public health doctor and researcher who has worked extensively on the intersections of food and politics, told The Wire in an interview. Whenever there is a conflict with Pakistan we see how restaurants and food are targeted. Vandalising Indian restaurants and changing names of Indian dishes become the easiest way of portraying a shallow form of patriotism. It amounts to nothing but political narrative setting. 'Food is an easy way to divide communities' Karpagam feels that it is 'not surprising' such attacks happen, in fact it would be surprising if they didn't. ' These attacks are not unusual. the culture of extra-judicial actions, rakshaks of various objects and spaces, encounter killings etc. are valorised. Mainstream media and even so called leaders – political and religious – participate in this valorisation. People don't seem to find it ridiculous to target people who have nothing to do with terrorism or war or inter-country issues,' she added. These attacks and protests could be seen in the larger context of weaponising food to create political narratives. Food has always been politicised and used as a tool to discriminate and conduct violence. Recently there has been discourse about challenging the perceived supremacy of vegetarianism and beef eating practices. 'Food is an easy way to divide communities depending on who owns them and who eats there. Even though only 20% Indians identify as vegetarian, they dictate which foods are considered as pure/touchable and which are untouchable and impure. If there are attacks on Muslim or Dalit communities, there is a tacit support, silence and collusion by the larger society,' said Karpagam. This leads to a lot of impunity among people who are actually anti-social elements who are valorised as heros. When brutal murders happen by the so-called vigilantes , they are celebrated. This is a violation of the Constitution and rule of law. Now the Muslim community is being targeted for occupying a space that was left empty because of caste prejudices against meat,' she added. Therefore, such instances when a karachi bakery is vandalised, a Mysore Pak is renamed, a Sabir Malik is lynched to death on suspicion of eating beef, or when a Dalit man is denied entry in a restaurant in Bellari, they are just manifestations of caste and class supremacy through food. Deciding the narratives on who can eat what and where and to decide what is acceptable is a power wielded by the privileged. Such manifestations go against the ethos of our constitution and shows how food can be used to otherise identities and remains a deeply political subject. The author is an intern at The Wire. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pak Hindu refugees in Delhi discuss future as eviction looms
New Delhi: Pakistani Hindu refugees from various Delhi settlements, fearing eviction, held a large panchayat to discuss their future. These Sindhi Hindu families, who fled religious persecution in Pakistan and were granted Indian citizenship last year, now feel betrayed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They live in five camps across Delhi, including part of Majnu Ka Tila near the Yamuna floodplain. Though no eviction notices have been issued by DDA, the community learned through the media about a recent high court ruling allowing the clearance of the Majnu Ka Tila settlement. "Where will we go? We were running, fleeing for our lives, and India is the only nation where we, as Hindus, could find safety. Now, even if we won't find a place to live here, where are we supposed to go? We don't have much education, cannot afford a lawyer, and were living off the help of our Hindu brothers here. Somehow, we managed to earn a living here, managed to send our children to school, to give them a life that we could never dream of. Now, this decision of the court has come as a knife to our hearts," said Sukhnandan, pradhan of Majnu Ka Tila, who came to India in 2012 and settled on vacant land next to a gurdwara. At the meeting, and a heated one, held at another settlement on the Yamuna floodplain near Signature Bridge, high-pitched discussions were on. Representatives from all six settlement camps in Delhi — Majnu Ka Tila, Signature Bridge, Adarsh Nagar, Bhatti Mines, Rohini Sector 11 and Rohini Sector 25 — had gathered there to discuss future action. They plan to meet chief minister Rekha Gupta to explore resettlement options. Last year, the community secured a temporary stay from the high court when eviction notices were first served, but the court recently upheld the DDA's eviction order. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The new reports say that we will be evicted from the floodplain. That's two of our camps. It does not talk about our rehabilitation. We will seek time from Delhi's CM tomorrow, if required, even hold protests," said Dharamveer Bagri, another settler at Majnu Ka Tila, who hailed from Hyderabad in Sindh, Pakistan. Last July, days after some of them were granted citizenship, Delhi Development Authority issued the camp dwellers a notice, asking them to vacate their houses in 24 hours, pending a demolition drive scheduled for July 13 and 14. DDA's notice stated that the land was part of the Yamuna floodplain and all encroachments on river land adjacent to the gurudwara were ordered to be cleared by the National Green Tribunal. In an order dated May 30 by Justice Dharmesh Sharma, the court observed that it had earlier asked the Union of India, DDA, etc., to relocate and rehabilitate refugees on Yamuna floodplain. The court, however, noted that the effort bore no fruit. It also said that the court cannot undertake the exercise of framing a policy to ameliorate the plight of refugees.
Express Tribune
26-05-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Power lines threaten Mukhi House
A month after a formal request was made, no action has yet been taken to remove hazardous electrical wires hanging from the historic Mukhi House Museum in Hyderabad. The museum's curator and administrator, Naeem Ahmed Khan, submitted a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) on April 21, 2025, requesting the relocation of electric wires entangled with the museum's structure. The letter highlighted the architectural and cultural significance of Mukhi House, which was declared protected heritage under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994, in 2018. Mukhi House was later converted into a museum and opened to the public in 2021. Located in a densely populated residential area, it now faces a serious preservation challenge: electricity to nearby homes is supplied via cables that run across and hang from the museum's outer walls, some even strung across windows and fastened to its original iron grills. The letter warned that these power lines not only compromise the visual integrity of the site but also pose a serious threat to the building's structure - particularly its wooden doors and windows - in the event of an electrical malfunction. Copies of the letter were also sent to the Deputy Commissioner of Hyderabad, the Deputy Director (Heritage/Admin), and the PS to the Director General of the Sindh Culture, Tourism, Antiquities, and Archives Department. Yet, despite the passage of a full month, officials have taken no action. Restoration work is currently underway at Mukhi House after years of delay. Museum staff caution that if the hanging wires are not removed soon, a large portion of the museum's outer wall may remain unrestored and unpainted, defeating the purpose of ongoing renovation efforts. Window to past Also known as Mukhi Mahal, the building was constructed in 1920 by Mukhi Jeth Anand, a prominent member of Hyderabad's Sindhi Hindu community. The architecture of the mansion combines Renaissance, Art Deco, and Art Nouveau styles, featuring stained glass windows, intricately carved wooden details by Indian artisans, and marble accents. The house comprises 12 rooms, two grand halls, and a spacious central courtyard along with a smaller rear courtyard. In a notable moment of pre-Partition history, India's future Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru stayed at Mukhi House with his family - a visit now commemorated with a rare photograph on display at the museum. After Partition, the Mukhi family remained in Hyderabad until 1957 before migrating to India. The building was subsequently occupied by various government departments, including the Settlement Office and a girls' school. It also suffered damage during periods of political unrest in the city. It was not until the tenure of former District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil that a decision was made to preserve the site. In 2008, the Mukhi family relinquished formal ownership under the condition that it would be preserved and opened as a public museum. Restoration began in 2009 under the Sindh Government's Department of Archaeology, and by 2013 the museum opened its doors to the public. Mukhi House today hosts a collection of personal memorabilia, historical photographs, and cultural artifacts donated by the Mukhi family - an effort to preserve not only their legacy but the broader cultural history of Hyderabad. The building, located near Chaari at Homestead Hall, remains a popular attraction for both local and visiting tourists. However, the entangled power cables, particularly at the rear of the building, continue to mar the structure's historic charm and pose an ongoing threat to its preservation. Unless immediate steps are taken to address the issue, a vital piece of Sindh's heritage may face further degradation.
New Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJP activists booked for attacking Karachi Bakery at Shamshabad
HYDERABAD: At least 10 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters were booked for allegedly attacking Karachi Bakery at Shamshabad on Saturday around 3 pm. The RGI Airport police registered a case under Section 126(2) (wrongful restraint, referring to the act of intentionally obstructing a person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the workers. RGI Airport Inspector K Balaraju said that the case was registered against 10 persons, including BJP town president Vamshi. The protesters did not enter the bakery but damaged its signboard. 'They protested outside the bakery demanding a change of its name from Karachi,' he said. Videos of the protest and vandalism went viral on social media on Sunday. In the videos, the protesters were seen carrying Indian flags and raising slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai,' 'Jai Jawan,' and 'Pakistan Murdabad.' This incident occurred a few days after the bakery's owners spoke to the media, clarifying that Karachi Bakery is a 100 percent Indian brand, founded in 1953 by their grandfather. 'We are requesting the chief minister, the director general of police (DGP), and the Hyderabad police commissioner to support us. We request the government not to force a change in our brand name, Karachi Bakery,' the owners said. Karachi Bakery was founded in 1953 by Khanchand Ramnani, a Sindhi Hindu migrant who moved to Hyderabad during the partition of India in 1947. The bakery specializes in a wide range of products, including biscuits, cakes, pastries, chocolates, macarons and several other items.
