Harun Gora from Godhra in Central Gujarat had gone to Karachi on a visitor's visa to attend a family wedding. The celebrations are over but he is not able to return home, for the time being at least.
With the train services between India and Pakistan stopped following strained relations between the two countries after revoking of Article 370, more than 60 Muslims from Godhra are stranded in Karachi, waiting to come back to India. Theirs is a story similar to hundreds of Muslims from across India who went to Pakistan and are not able to return.
Little did Gora know while leaving for Karachi that the relations between the two countries would get strained. For people of Godhra, going to Pakistan is common as they have links in the neighbourhood.
“My month-long visa expired and the Pakistani government has renewed it,” Gora told THE WEEK on a WhatsApp call from Karachi. Like Gora, several others are being taken care of by their brethren.
The issue came to light after a vernacular daily in Gujarat reported it and a video clip sent from the Indians in Karachi went viral on social media. In the video clip they have conveyed that they are happy with the way they are being treated in Karachi.
Saleem Murshad, a Pakistani national, said that some of them would request for a route change and attempt to cross the Wagah Border on foot. “They (Indians) are happy here, but they naturally want to go back to their country,” he said.
A timber merchant, Murshad along with businessmen Aslambhai Hayat and Anwar Chonchla, are helping out the people from Godhra.
Shabbir Ralya, another resident of Polan Bazar in Godhra, said that they keep talking to their relatives back in India about their well being. “It will be nice if I can come back to India at the earliest,” he remarked.
Murshad said Karachi has a strong population of 30,000 to 40,000 Muslims having roots in Godhra, who have mainly settled in Godhra Colony and some other parts of the city.
A resident of Godhra, requesting anonymity, told THE WEEK that Muslims going to Pakistan is very common and they also use the opportunity to do small business. “While coming from Pakistan, they get Pakistani dress materials, which are most sought after in India, and while going to Pakistan they take dry fruits and masalas,” he added.
Godhra Collector Udit Agrawal told THE WEEK that they have not got any formal request for help from the relatives of those who have gone to Pakistan. However, following a report that they have not been able to come back to India due to stopping of train services, the administration is making a list of people who have gone to Pakistan.
“If we get a representation then we will take it up with the Centre. However, this is not a case only limited to Godhra. A large number of people have gone to Pakistan from India,” he said.
Murshad said that it would be difficult to give an estimate of the number of people who have come from India. He, however, added that in a single train there can be at least 200 people coming.
“We do not know when the train services will resume,” Gora said.
