'India has defeated itself repeatedly': Historian fumes over report on 22 Pakistani women having 95 kids in UP

Historian and professor of international relations Hindol Sengupta has sharply criticised India's approach to national security and immigration, saying, "There is no country on earth which has defeated itself repeatedly more than India. This self-harm is the single biggest trait of our history."

Sengupta's reaction came after reports revealed that 22 Pakistani women living on long-term visas in Moradabad have nearly 100 India-born children and are part of families now over 500 members strong.

The women, most of whom arrived in India after marrying local men, hold ration and Aadhaar cards but remain Pakistani citizens. The revelation surfaced amid heightened security scrutiny following the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

According to the report, the women had entered India after marrying Indian men and have been living in Moradabad for decades. Most of their children are now grown up and married, with around 35% of the women now grandmothers. In total, these families comprise more than 500 members.

Two of the women reportedly entered India only four years ago. Authorities have begun a comprehensive review of all 24 Pakistani nationals in the district — including two men — to verify their personal details, family ties to Pakistan, and the occupations of their 95 children.

Following the Pahalgam attack, Indian authorities have deported Pakistani nationals on short-term visas and intensified scrutiny of those on long-term stays. Moradabad Superintendent of Police (City) Kumar Ranvijay Singh said that the police are compiling data on visa status, ration card usage, family size, and connections abroad.

Despite living in India for years and possessing Aadhaar and ration cards, none of the women have received Indian citizenship, though all have applied for it. Their children, however, have Indian nationality, resulting in families with Indian citizens born to Pakistani mothers who remain foreign nationals.

Business Today could not independently verify the report. 

The controversy over India's approach to adversarial nations isn't limited to immigration policy. Experts have also voiced anger over India's continued engagement with Turkey, a known ally of Pakistan.

Sushant Sareen, Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, lashed out on social media, stating, "India is not a serious country. We feed snakes and then wonder why they bite us. We reward our enemies and treat our friends shabbily. We delude ourselves that countries like Turkey will give up their hostility. They benefit from us and then stab us openly."