RailEnquiry

Amritsar : Two more families of Hindu pilgrims arrived by Samjauta Express from Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border today. Unlike a few pilgrims who alleged harassment in the neighbouring nation and had decided to stay put in India, these families said they would return once their pilgrimage was over.Akash Kumar, who runs a mobile phone shop in Dera Murad Jamali in Balochistan province, said, "We have a 20-day visa and the main purpose of our visit is to attend the 'barsi' (death anniversary) of a relative in Delhi." Asked why his family of four members was carrying a huge luggage comprising 14 bags, he said, "We have brought gifts for our relatives."On alleged persecution of Hindus, Akash said: "Such incidents may be happening, but I am not much aware about them."Another pilgrim, Sarwan Kumar, said, "We will visit several religious places and also meet our relatives."On staying back in India, he said he would do so only if he got some good opportunity. "A cousin of mine had crossed over a few years ago and now he is a successful charted accountant in Delhi," he said.Though Sarwan said he was ignorant about the "harassment" of Hindus in Pakistan, his daughter Sindhu Kumari, a Class VII student, claimed they were made to sit separately from Muslim students in school.Ravi Kukreja, an Indian citizen from Indore, who returned after meeting his relatives in Pakistan, said, "A few of my cousins are planning to leave Pakistan for good in December. Though I did not see any persecution of Hindus, I read about such incidents in newspapers."Kukreja claimed that Hindu families in Pakistan, especially in Balochistan and Sindh provinces, were vulnerable to attacks from extremists.