Ahmedabad: At the Indian Citizenship Certificate awarding camp organized by the District Administration here in the city, 108 persons who migrated from Pakistan and were residing in Ahmedabad were given Indian Citizenship Certificates at the hands of the Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi.

On this occasion, MoS Home Sanghavi, welcomed everyone by saying, “How are you all? Smile, as now your are Indian citizens”, he added saying that the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam has also become meaningful today.

While congratulating all those who received Indian citizenship, the minister said, ‘You all have become citizens of India from today, and we have to work together to realize the dream of a new India. We expect all of you to be determined to participate in the country’s development journey.’

In this context, the minister further said that today in Ahmedabad, there is an atmosphere like Diwali in the homes of 108 families who received Indian citizenship certificates because today they have become citizens of India. The same joyous atmosphere is visible in all your families today as when a child is born in the house.

The Minister emphasized that the Government of India and the Government of Gujarat are committed to integrating displaced citizens into mainstream society. The government is making concerted efforts to solve the problems faced in the daily lives of displaced people, as part of which 108 citizens are being granted citizenship today.

Sanghavi, said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, have made special efforts to grant Indian citizenship quickly and easily to the suffering minorities of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, including Hindu refugees. As a result, today, you have become citizens of India.

Referring to all those who have obtained Indian citizenship, the Minister said, ‘Today is a very important day in your life. It is believed that every year you will celebrate this day like your birthday. From today, you have become citizens of the great country of India. As citizens, you will have all the rights and benefits of government schemes. The minister also assured everyone that you will be safe in Gujarat.

Sanghavi, also congratulated the Collector of Ahmedabad and the entire administrative team of Ahmedabad district for giving new life to more than 1149 Hindu refugees in Ahmedabad by granting them Indian citizenship.

The beneficiaries’ faces at the program showed the satisfaction of obtaining Indian citizenship. They expressed their gratitude for the promptness shown by the officials of the Ahmedabad district administration in the process of issuing citizenship letters.

On this occasion, the Additional Resident Collector congratulated 108 Hindus who obtained Indian citizenship and expressed gratitude to various departments of the Central and State Governments and voluntary organizations for their support in granting Indian citizenship to the exiled Hindus from Pakistan.

It is to be noted that the Gazette of the years 2016 and 2018 empowered the District Collectors of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Kutch in the state of Gujarat to grant Indian citizenship to the people of the Ladhumati (Minority) community (Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian) of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan following the procedure under the Citizenship Act.

So far, a total of 1149 Hindu refugees from Pakistan have been granted Indian citizenship by the Ahmedabad District Collector’s Office.

On this occasion, Collector of Ahmedabad, Ms. Praveena D.K, Survey MLAs of Ahmedabad, President and members of Sindh Minority Migrants Association, and 108 beneficiaries who accepted the certificate and their families were present. DeshGujarat