Visa hurdles ease as cross-border families revive decades-old marriage ties
India Pakistan marriage
In a time of deteriorated relations between India and Pakistan, about 150 Pakistani Sindhi Hindu women have come to India to get married to Indian men. They managed to overcome years of wait, problems with visa and complicated procedures.
Sindhi Hindu families from both India and Pakistan have been preserving matrimonial and cultural links for decades. Several girls had already got engaged to men from Nagpur, Raipur, Jodhpur and Pune. But because of strained border relations and closed Wagah-Attari route, their marriage was postponed.
Meanwhile, Shadani Darbar and Sindhi community members turned to the Government of India – the Ministry of Home Affairs. They provided information about those women and asked to grant them visas. Finally, they received appropriate visas.
But visas did not allow entering the territory. Thus, the families had to travel via other countries such as Dubai, Sri Lanka, Oman and Bangladesh.
This event is regarded by the community leaders as an indication of hope for the families of Pakistani Hindus. About 150 women have come now, whereas almost 300 girls still await visas.
