NEW DELHI: About 5000 Hindi families who migrated from Punjab in the wake of heightened militancy about six years ago and had been livingin relief camps run by the Delhi administration are still reluctant 10 go back to the state. The administration spends Rs 2 crore on them ¢very month, The authorities are willing to give alump sum of Rs40,000 to every family in an effort to send them back. But evidently most of the migrants have become used to the life style of Delhi. “My children’s education will suffer if we go back to Punjab,” said Chand Rani of Peerangarhi relief camp. More than 2000 families stay in that camp and about half of them fear that violence will erupt in Punjab: soon, “Weare marked people. Half of our family has been killed by militants,” she argued. Satish Kundraa leader of the migrants said, there are more security men than inhabitants in Punjab. The Punjab police is present in great force every where.” Another Pecrangarhi resident, Shyama Devi, said “eight policemen are stationed outside my house. How is the state safe? How can we survive in such conditions.?”
Article extracted from this publication >> June 25, 1993
