My name is Madhava Das Overgoor, born in the Netherlands, and father of two beautiful children (a son and a daughter).

As some of you may know, Pakistan is a difficult and hostile country for most minorities (Hindus, Christians, etc.), who have little (human/women’s) rights and limited opportunities for social and economic improvement. In August 2019, I got married in Pakistan to my present wife Mona Shaker Das. Together, we have a 5-year-old daughter and are living in the Netherlands since then. My time in Pakistan was surprisingly difficult, as we underwent some hardships there. As an aspiring Vaishnava, I would not recommend Pakistan for many reasons.

A little background/history:

My father-in-law was just married in 1964 before the second war between India and Pakistan started. India and separated Pakistan get independence from British rule in 1947. Then, during the second war of India and Pakistan, high tensions across the borders made it very dangerous for Hindus to live in Pakistan or to cross the border into India. My father-in-law could not return from Punjab (Pakistan side) to Rajasthan (India), his homeland. He decided to stay, hoping that the war would end, and the situation would improve.

The past few weeks in June (2025) have been quite stressful for us, especially for my wife, whose family in Pakistan is going through a very difficult time, particularly over the past two years. Poorly educated about their rights and living under fearful conditions, they could not foresee their fate. In 1998, after a so-called envious Muslim friend stole and manipulated documents regarding some personal property belonging to my in-laws, which consisted of a house and land, they lost both. In the same year, the government provided a house for the family to continue living in. They were given a contract with so-called rights (see the pictures attached).

After the sudden passing of her husband in 2007 due to heart failure, my mother-in-law and her children faced severe financial difficulties. Some had to stop their education, while others received only minimal schooling. The daughters had to start working at a young age. After speaking with some government authorities, the family learned that the housing contract issued in 1990 was still valid. The local government verbally approved the mother and her daughters’ continued right to stay in the house after the death of the head of the family. Given their dramatically changed financial situation, they were no longer required to pay rent.

Now, suddenly, over the last six months, everything has changed. Another family, who had wanted this house for a long time, claimed they would take it by legal force. It is possible they bribed a police inspector and the authorities. Four weeks ago, the police forcibly evicted my in-laws and even jailed a young nephew when he protested. Desperate for help, my wife, here in the Netherlands, contacted her media contact in Pakistan, with whom she had worked during her practical training. The reporter and his team visited the police station, and shortly after, the nephew was released by a higher-ranking officer, and the house key was returned to the family with an apology. The family then prepared to take their case to court to protect their home. However, they discovered that the government housing contract was not properly registered with the relevant authorities.

Due to government corruption, lawyers cheating (not showing up in court, not allowing their clients to attend court, etc.), lack of interest from the Muslim community, a failing justice system, and a lack of human rights, my 85-year-old Hindu mother-in-law, Mrs. Parro Shanker Das (mother of six daughters and two sons), along with her two daughters, Miss Rami Shanker Das (who provides full-time care for her mother’s medical needs, such as high blood pressure) and Miss Phula Shanker Das (who suffers from severe asthma), were once again evicted by the police last week, depriving them of their dignity. They have now been living on the street for the past 11 days in deplorable conditions.

We cannot begin to estimate the level of stress and insecurity they are enduring. Given their poor financial situation (medical expenses and lack of income) and limited prospects for improvement due to minimal social connections in a Muslim-dominated society, they rely mostly on the mercy of other family members, who themselves are not in strong financial positions. One brother, Punnu, passed away at the age of 45 last year (from liver and kidney failure due to prolonged hepatitis C), and the other brother, Gulab, aged 51, recently lost one of his jobs (as a car mechanic). He is suffering from depression due to the loss of his younger brother and the illness of his 16-year-old partially paralyzed daughter (2023).

Living in the Netherlands, I feel ashamed that I cannot help them the way I would like to. I am also limited in my financial capacity. This is why I decided to start this crowdfunding initiative.

I started this (online) fundraising campaign to help purchase a piece of land or a flat (a ground-floor unit is needed due to my mother-in-law’s medical condition) in a government-protected area for Hindus. Once sufficient funds are collected, my wife, who is well-educated, will travel to Pakistan to ensure everything is properly registered with the appropriate authorities and notary, thereby securing the property in the family’s name for now and the future.