Religion At Play: No Visa suspension for "Hindu Pakistanis" - India

Miyuru Rasoj- Colombo.

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, India’s decision to revoke all visas for Pakistani nationals while exempting Hindu pakistanis from this suspension has reignited debates about the government’s alignment with Hindu nationalist ideology. 

The move, framed as a security measure, carries distinct religious undertones, reflecting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) use of Hindu minorities in the neighboring countries for covert influence.  

Selective Visa Exemptions for Hindu Pakistanis

The Ministry of External Affairs of India clarified that Long Term Visas granted to Hindu Pakistani nationals remain valid despite the blanket suspension of visas for all other Pakistani citizens. 

Long Term Visas are typically issued to non-Muslim minorities including Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh under a 2015 policy aimed at fast tracking citizenship for persecuted groups.  

However, the MEA’s latest statement explicitly singles out Hindu Pakistanis, omitting mention of other eligible minorities in its clarification. 

This selective emphasis aligns with the BJP’s broader narrative of positioning India as a sanctuary for Hindus globally, a cornerstone of its Hindu nationalist agenda.

Security or Majoritarianism?

While the government cites national security concerns following the Pahalgam attack—which killed 26, including tourists—the visa exemption for Hindus underscores a dual approach: stringent measures against Pakistan’s Muslim majority juxtaposed with protections for its Hindu minority. 

Critics argue this reflects an ideological prioritization of Hindu interests, consistent with the BJP’s historical advocacy for a Hindu first state . 

The exclusion of Pakistani Muslims from visa exemptions, even for humanitarian categories like medical travel, further accentuates this divide.

Broader Implications

The policy risks exacerbating religious polarization, both domestically and regionally. 

By explicitly tying visa relief to religious identity, India reinforces a narrative of civilizational kinship with Hindu minorities abroad, a theme frequently invoked in the BJP’s political rhetoric. 

Simultaneously, the move isolates Muslim migrants, mirroring domestic policies like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from neighboring countries. 

Such measures feed accusations of state-sanctioned majoritarianism, undermining India’s constitutional secularism6.

A Pattern of Ideological Policy

This decision is not an outlier. The BJP has consistently linked immigration and security policies to its Hindu nationalist vision, as seen in the 2019 CAA protests and the ongoing push for a National Register of Citizens. 

The latest visa suspension, while framed as a counterterrorism measure, doubles as a demographic tool, privileging Hindu migrants while excluding others. 

As India’s diplomatic tensions with Pakistan escalate, marked by the closure of the Attari border and expulsion of Pakistani diplomats, the religious dimension of its visa policy underscores the BJP’s ideological steadfastness, even at the cost of international criticism.