When Sona Das, 42, left his home in Pakistan's Hyderabad and came to Delhi on a cold winter night in 2011, he did not know what would become of him and his family.
After eight years of hardships, Das and family finally have something to cheer about: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to give Indian nationality to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Monday.
Around 750 people live in makeshift tents and unplastered walls with metal roofs in Majnu Ka Tila area in Delhi. Most of them work as daily wagers, while a few youngsters have set up stalls to sell mobile covers.
"We cook on earthen stoves and use solar batteries to light up our homes. Only two or three houses have got television sets. Municipal bodies have made arrangement for water. But there is no sewer network," Das said.
Dahramveer Bagri, 43, who led a group of 484 Pakistani Hindus to Delhi in 2013, said, "NGOs have been kind enough to provide us basic healthcare. There are a few good people who have been raising our issues."
Bagri said, "What's most unsafe is when Pakistani Hindus are asked to establish their identify when something bad happens, like a theft, for example."
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