In the heart of New Delhi, 2500 “refugees” who came in from the cold*
First, some “facts”. “Facts” within quotes because no one quite appears to know the “truth”. I am therefore relying on emails, first-person (albeit unverified) accounts, news-reports and of course, the wonderful world of internet..As you will realise after reading this, the whole thing appears mysterious – and raises more questions than answers. Earlier yesterday morning, I was alerted to this news-report (from the HT) by Sh Krishen Kak (emphasis added, throughout):
Over 2,500 refugees from Myanmar have landed right in front of the 13th century tomb of Sultan Garhi — an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monument — at Rangpuri area near Vasant Kunj. ..Registered as ‘asylum-seekers’ by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), these families from Northern Rakhine state of Myanmar landed in Delhi a month ago and had camped in Vasant Vihar.”Following complaints from people in Vasant Vihar, they voluntarily shifted to another location,” said Nayana Bose, associate external relations officer, UNHCR. They started reaching the tomb from Sunday evening and trickled in till Monday too. Zia-ur-Rehman, from the group, said, “We demand a valid ‘refugee’ status. There is a meeting on May 15 (and) we plan to stay here till then.“
I decided to dig deeper and found that the JNU Students Union has got involved and is demanding that “The issue of refugees languishing on the streets of Delhi for more than a month in the summer heat has to be addressed immediately. As of now, the refugees only have an asylum status. The government and the UNHCR must grant official a refugee status to them so that they can avail their basic rights with a sense of dignity”
I also learnt that:
Over 600 Rohingya Muslim families had fled from Western Myanmar to India about two years ago… They arrived in Delhi on April 9
Just how did these 600 families turn up one fine day in the heart of New Delhi after “travelling” for over 2 years in India? No one seems to know. I then discovered (via an email from Sh Mohan Sethi) that the shift to the site at Vasant Kunj (from the UNHCR office in Vasant Vihar) happened sometime on 7th May. Subsequently an all-party meeting of the local panchayats and RWAs was called, which was also attended by the local MLA and leaders from Congress, BJP and others. It appears that the refugees had been in Vasant Vihar for at least a week before the move to Vasant Kunj (how did no one notice?). They moved to Vasant Kunj on someone’s “invitation” (Were they promised some shelter/arrangement if they moved here?). It was not clear who was providing these refugees with food, water etc. After a lot of deliberations, the meeting concluded with a decision to wait until 15th May and see what happens after that.
The local RWAs subsequently invited a few TV channels to cover this “news” and yesterday also met CM Sheila Dikshit who assured them that the refugees will bemoved by 16th May. A few questions still remain..
- Who is ensuring, taking care of basic hygiene and sanitation needs of these 2500-odd men, women and children?
- What about their basic needs (water, food, shelter)?
- Who is making sure that the conditions do not lead to an outbreak of disease or an epidemic?
- What about security concerns?
- Is a watch being maintained at the site?
- What about the risk of vigilante action?
- What about the security risk posed by the “camp” being just a few kms away from the airport?
- What about the risk to safety and security of local residents?
Now, a little bit more about who exactly are these refugees and why did they move out of Myanmar / Burma? To most of us who are blissfully unaware of India’s geography and the strategic vulnerability along the entire north-eastern region of India, the presence of Burmese refugees in New Delhi might look like an oddity. Elsewhere in India, it is anything but..
…According to local media reports, about 50,000 displaced Burmese have been living in different parts of neighbouring Mizoram, bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh, and working at various shops and factories after obtaining work permits.
While the Rohingya Muslims are being pushed out from Myanmar, their increasing numbers in the sparsely populated and heavily forested north-eastern Indian states are a cause of concern. Many of the local people have turned hostile to the steadily increasing numbers. The fear is that these people will slip into the general Indian population. [source]
Infiltration of Myanmarese nationals to Tripura through Bangladesh has emerged as a new problem in the frontier state that is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides. Since July 2011, 95 Myanmarese, comprising Rohingya Muslims and Buddhist tribals, have been detained in Tripura after they sneaked into the state through Bangladesh. Myanmarese nationals illegally crossing over into India has also become a major problem in Mizoram, with unofficial estimates putting the number of such infiltrators at around 40,000.
The Indian Passport Act permits Myanmarese nationals, particularly Chins and Burmese Mizos, to travel up to 16 km inside Mizoram as they have relatives on both sides. But most people travel beyond the 16-km limit and stay back causing both population and law and order problems for Mizoram.
It is not clear why Rohingya Muslims do not cross over to Bangladesh but the reasons may be economic. However, India is not alone in terms of their destination. And here is an account of some of the “discriminations” they suffer in Myanmar.
Coming back to Delhi, who might be providing these “refugees” food, shelter and such other basic necessities? This report has a clue (“Refugees claiming to be ‘Burmese’ at Delhi; Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal):
..The refugees numbering more than five hundred lives in small tent camps, thought(sic) the lad claimed that the number would be even more than that. They came all the way by road , train, most of them have scattered in different parts of the country Sajjid said.
He further explained that Muslim communities in Delhi support and help them and provide their basic food and water. Speaking in fluent Hindi, the lad further explained that they are applying for refugee status from UNHCR..
On asked what they would do after that , the lad explained that they would demand for basic rights and facilities to be provided under the refugees status.
But the fundamental questions remain: How and why did these “refugees” trek across thousands of kilometres to camp in New Delhi? Who was leading them? Who guided them? Who is providing for them? And what exactly does the government plan to do about it? Is it really hoping that they will simply go back if asked politely?
And how many are they? No one appears to know for sure (in keeping with the great tradition in Indian media). The HT report mentions “over 2500“; Indian Express (re. JNU students) mentions “600 families“; the E-pao report above mentions “500″ or more and this report mentions “..700 people“. Questions and more questions…
Finally, guess what – according to “The Hindu” – is the most important dimension to this situation?
The controversy over the camping of Myanmar refugees in a protected area in Delhi has several dimensions, the most important being that the land is home to a 13th Century mausoleum for Altamash’s son, the second to be built in the Indian subcontinent [source]
Truly “MerA BhArat MahAn” मेरा भारत महान !
P.S. The Rohingya (Rohingiya) Muslims are not the only refugees from Myanmar in India..There are Christian refugees too (- not that you would notice this if you simply read the news-reports; Most simply mention “refugees”).
Recommended Readings: 1 un-named leader, 1000 illegal settlers and vote-bank politics…Notes from North-East: Indigenous Cultures, Demographic Invasion and A story about British vote-banks..
Also read: Some startling stats from the eastern front…, North-East “burning” and “India Breaking” – Read this and Weep
Update: Just came across this odd-statement from CM Sheila Dikshit:
..DDA, chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday said that a way would soon be found to relocate them. “Earlier it was thought that the land belonged to Waqf Board, but it is not so. The land belongs to Delhi Development Authority (DDA),” Dikshit said.
So it is OK to encroach on Waqf land? or is it OK to encroach on Waqf land by Muslims from the Ummah? Just wondering.
* Title inspired by John Le Carre; Image courtesy: E-Pao.net
Shockingly, this is how the world’s richest Islamic state treats these “refugees”
Plight of Burmese refugees in Saudi Arabia
…Hashim says the condition of the Burmese in Saudi Arabia is worse than that of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Beyond Aung San Suu Kyi: Rohingyas
By Zafarul-Islam Khan, The Milli Gazette
Published Online: Mar 16, 2011; Print Issue: 16-28 February 2011
Really shocking !!
This influx will pose threat to the country one or other day.
My worry, apart from the shocking debacle these poor people have endured, is of the scant *Security Measures* prevalent right under the nose of P. Chidambaram. What if there was infiltrators amongst these? Did anybody government body screen the influx? There still could be a Kasab looming amongst them! Why stake our peace and tranquility with this negligence?
Just got an email from Sh Sethi (RWA, Vasant Kunj) that the area is now clear..but no idea where the 2500-odd people have moved to/
Does anyone know?
Pl leave a comment here if you find out more.
thanks
Looking at the way these people mysteriously appeared and disappeared makes me wonder if it was a case of lebensraum. This is the way govt land is usually usurped by some minorities.
Growing up in Hyd, I lived close(1 km) to an open land(govt owned), it was used by kids to play soccer, cricket etc. Suddenly within 24-48 hours it was occupied by a certain minority community with help of local MLA. And it is still occupied, unfortunately.
According to TOI report, because of local pressure these ‘refugees’ were removed. Hopefully local people will be more vigilant regarding their surroundings, their city, state and country. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom!
“Many believe the speed with which police dismantled their dwellings had much to do with local pressure from Vasant Vihar and Vasant Kunj RWAs as well as some village mahapanchayats who did not want the refugees in their backyard.”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Capital-shuts-door-on-Burmese-refugees/articleshow/13158183.cms
@Shantanu
///////Just got an email from Sh Sethi (RWA, Vasant Kunj) that the area is now clear..but no idea where the 2500-odd people have moved to/
Does anyone know? ///////
Might be in Masjids or madarsaas? This link can give you some more idea on so called ‘refugees’.
4. For your ready reference: Rohingya Muslims is the community that is born of Burmese (Myanmar) mothers & Bangla Desh Muslim Fathers & the community follows Islam. Staying in Arakan area at the border of Bangla Desh & Myanmar, they are internationally known for the massacres & ethnic cleansing of Buddhists (Chakma Buddhists & others) that Rohingya Muslims did just 10-15 years back.
http://www.haindavakeralam.com/HKPage.aspx?PageID=15924&SKIN=B
Thanks All for the comments…Hope to respond later…For now, have a look at (emphasis added):
Act as per law against Myanmar asylum-seekers, HC tells police by
Utkarsh Anand : New Delhi, Wed May 16 2012:
A day after the DDA wrote to the Delhi Police to jointly conduct a “squatters’ removal programme” at the Sultangarhi monument near Vasant Kunj, around 2,200 asylum seekers from Myanmar living there were asked to evacuate the area on Tuesday.
The refugees have been camping near the 13th-century protected monument hoping to get a “plot of land” and other benefits in the Capital.
The action was after the Delhi High Court on Monday turned down a request for “compassionate indulgence” in the matter and asked the police to take action as prescribed under the law.
A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri underlined that the Myanmar refugees were in India for almost two years now and have been waiting for legal “refugee” status given by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Standing counsel for Delhi government Najmi Waziri informed the court that it was not like that the asylum-seekers had come to India recently, but had travelled to Delhi from across the country on the basis of an “unofficial rumour” that they would be getting plots of land here, besides several other benefits.
“The matter, however, involves questions of utmost sensitivity, keeping in view their legal status in this country, their conditions and the kind of agitations. There are intelligence reports indicating the matter must be tactfully handled,” said Waziri as he produced all the reports in the court. After going through the documents, the court noted that most of these refugees did not even have the temporary refugee cards allotted to them by the UNHCR and had come to the city on the basis of “certain unsubstantiated reports”.
…
The court was hearing an application by a lawyer, who sought its directives to the government to provide free food, water, toilet facilities and medical assistance to the 559 families who had been in Delhi since April 9.
The court, however, refrained from passing any such directive on “compassionate ground” and said that the police was authorised to take actions as per the law.
Earlier, Delhi government intervened in the matter last week after Delhi Police gave permission to the over 2,000 Myanmarese refugees to stay at Sultangarhi. After intervention from CM’s Office and on request of the Delhi Police, Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) wrote a letter to the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office on Monday, asking them to clarify their stand.
“In a joint action by DC (Revenue), DDA, Delhi Police and UNHCR on Tuesday morning, the over 2,000 Mayanmarese refugees have been sent off to places they had come from, in buses. It was clarified that the land did not belong to the Wakf Board as told to them (refugees), but to DDA. The promises of entry to another country after getting a refugee status were baseless,” a government official said.
***
Needless to add, the report raises a range of questions…
I suspect this is not the end of the matter – yet. For now, pl chew on this comment in the email tht Sh Kak sent me alerting about this:
(Was)..there a conscious move to grab public land?
Meanwhile it seems Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has got into “trouble” following her ambivalent stand on Rohingyas:
earlier this week..she (Aung San) ducked a question while collecting an award from Amnesty International in Ireland on whether the Muslim tribe were Burmese citizens. Asked if the Rohingyas should be regarded as Burmese, she replied: “I do not know.”
[source]
Sh B Raman draws interesting parallels between Myanmar and India…
From Fissures in Assam:
… The failure of successive Governments to deal effectively with continuing illegal immigration from Bangladesh by sealing the border, by strengthening border controls and by identifying and throwing back the illegal immigrants is giving rise to understandable concerns in the minds of the sons of the soil that they are being inexorably reduced to a minority in their own homeland.
…officials in our intelligence and security establishments agree that the failure of the State and Central Governments to counter head-on the problem of illegal immigration is eroding our internal security machinery in the North-East.
…There are similar suspicions and concerns in the Rakhine State of Myanmar over the non-stopping illegal immigration of Muslims, known as Rohingyas, from Bangladesh. The anger among the sons of the soil over these intruders from Bangladesh periodically leads to outbreaks of violence between Muslims and non-Muslims.
…The Myanmar Government, security forces and political leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi have been maintaining firmly that the problem in the Rakhine State is one of effective enforcement of law against foreign intruders. Suu Kyi, who is a strong defender of the ethnic rights of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities, has steadfastly refused to recognise the Rohingyas as an ethnic group of Myanmar. They are looked upon as intruders from Bangladesh who have no right to enjoy the same rights as the citizens of Myanmar.
…Despite pressure from the UN , the Organisation of Islamic Countries and Western non-governmental human rights organisations, the Myanmar Government has been firmly adhering to the view that these illegal migrants should either go back to Bangladesh or migrate to other countries that might be prepared to accommodate them.
…Compared to India, Myanmar is a weak country. In spite of that, it has stuck to its position that it cannot extend the same protection and legal benefits to illegal migrants as it extends to its sons of the soil.
…We call ourselves a big power. We pride ourselves on our national strength. And yet, we do not have the national will to act firmly and decisively against the Pakistan-based terrorists and the Bangladesh origin illegal migrants who are slowly corroding our internal security.
…The problem is rendered even more explosive by the insensitive attitude of the indigenous Muslims of Assam. They are one of us. They are our co-citizens entitled to the same rights and protection as you and I. But their misplaced feelings of religious solidarity with the Muslim intruders from Bangladesh and their tendency to downplay the extent of illegal migration and the threats posed by the migrants are creating suspicions in the minds of the non-Muslim sons of the soil.
From Rohingya Muslims in India by Pragmatic, a brief excerpt:
Over the years, at least 7,000 Rohingya have made their way to India , where many hope to build a new life. Earlier this year, the Indian government granted them long-term stay visas, a step that has improved their welfare and safety in the country.[IRT]
These long-term visas are valid till 2015. It will give them access to education for their children in public schools, and allow them to continue working in the informal sector.
Their actual numbers, however, will be higher as 7,000 Rohingyas are the ones who are registered with the UNHCR in Delhi. As per this piece in The National, Human Rights Watch says that there are another estimated 100,000 refugees from Myanmar living in the north-east of India. Despite having no legal framework for refugees, India provides long-term stay visas to more Rohingya Muslims than any Muslim country in the world. Even Bangladesh has only around 30,000 Rohingyas on its soil.
This should also answer those who question why India should provide asylum to Hindus fleeing from persecution on Pakistan. If India can provide long-term Visas for Rohingya Muslims, the rationale for providing the same status to Hindu refugees from Pakistan becomes far stronger.
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