Amid an uncertainty about their citizenship status, Pakistani Hindu migrants residing in Jodhpur district have started getting COVID-19 vaccination following an intervention of the Rajasthan High Court. However, the migrants who do not possess any of the prescribed identity documents were still not getting the vaccine.
A Division Bench of the High Court ruled that the Centre’s standard operating procedure (SOP) on vaccination did not exclude the migrants from Pakistan. The State government, which is yet to take a final decision on the issue, has sought some time from the court for furnishing details about the steps taken to implement the SOP.
The Medical and Health Department organised vaccination camps in Kali Beri, Alkausar Nagar and Anganwa localities on the outskirts of Jodhpur city over the week-end. The administration has maintained that the vaccination of migrants with the identity documents would be followed by those who have acquired Indian citizenship, but have yet to get the documents.
Hindu Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangathan, told The Hindu on Monday that the distinction made on the basis of identity documents had deprived the migrants from across the border of vaccine protection. “The Centre’s SOP is very clear. The Union government has also stated in the court that the vaccines will be provided based on the information from the State about the groups needing inoculation.”
The State government submitted to the court that about 25,000 Pakistani minority migrants were at present residing in various districts, including 7,500 in Jodhpur.
Food availability
The Bench, comprising Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Rameshwar Vyas, also directed the State government to ensure that ration material and food packets were made available to the needy Pakistani migrants either through the Food and Civil Supplies Departments and local bodies or through the non-government organisations and social institutions.
Hearing the additional submissions made on behalf of the Pakistani migrants staying in Jodhpur in a suo motu case, the court observed that no person residing in the State could be allowed to starve because of non-availability of food. “The issue of non-availability of rations is a serious one. It is the duty of the State to provide ration to every person residing in the State,” said the court.
