Peregrine wrote:My question : If the Sikhs are being "decimated" in Pakistan in general and Peshawar in Particular then why don't the pack their bags and migrate to India?
My opinion (TIFWIW): Lots of reasons (many are still conjectures):
1. Stockholm syndrome (Youtube is full of minorities that sing praises of paki muslims and how well they are taken care of)
2. Love for their land outweighs the desire to get up and leave for good.
3. Past Indian government policies. Recent migrant Hindus and Sikhs are still living in camps with no visas.
4. Paki politics that creates an artificial space for minorities to be represented but does not provide any voice
5. Fear (!!) (if one member of a family leaves, what will happen to the remaining folks)
6. Hindus and Sikhs have historically done well under stress. Note: Hindus in k'rachi and hydra-bad.
7. Hostage to their situation- minorities cant complain or vote with their feet.
8. For minorities living in NWFP and Balochistan, the closest exits are Afghanistan and Iran - that's even a bigger nightmare.
9. Financial - either they are too poor to leave or have too much vested in the local economy.
10. Some Hindus and Sikhs have done genuinely well and have too much to lose.