No amenities, no jobs: Rohingya suffer amid AAP-BJP slugfest

Hundreds of Rohingya, a persecuted minority in Myanmar, are living in India after having fled their country

Deen Md., a 65-year-old immigrant living in Madanpur Khadar colony of south Delhi, says he often hears the name of his ethnic group — Rohingya — in the political discourse, but it is never for anything good.

“We were persecuted in Myanmar, and now our name gets dragged into political debates here [Delhi] too. We have not done anything wrong. Survival is our only priority,” says Mr. Deen, who has been in India for as long as he can remember.

He was among the first to settle in the colony, which houses 66 families and approximately 300 people from the community. However, most of them had left Myanmar in 2012.

Hundreds of Rohingya, a persecuted minority in Myanmar, are living in India after having fled their country. For refugees, India is officially not a signatory to the United Nations refugee framework and doesn’t have a policy for them.

Blame game

The BJP, the main Opposition party in Delhi, has been accusing the ruling AAP of “helping to settle illegal Rohingya immigrants” in the capital to cultivate a vote bank.

Hitting back, AAP highlighted a social media post of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in 2022, who was then holding the Housing and Urban Affairs portfolio, stating that Rohingya refugees will be shifted to EWS flats in Bakkarwala in Delhi and provided basic amenities. Soon after the post, the Centre clarified that the Ministry of Home Affairs had not given such directions.

Mr. Deen said whatever the issue, his community members stay away from political activities. “Even when someone told us about the protests at Shaheen Bagh (anti-CAA agitation), we advised youngsters not to join it. We keep away from political activities. It can be detrimental to us. Still, our community name keeps cropping up in politics.”

‘Slum-like conditions’

The refugee colony in Madanpur Khadar, located near an under-construction metro project and situated in low-lying land, gets inundated during rains. Proper roads, water and electricity supply and sanitation are amiss.

Younus Md., a community leader, told The Hindu that many inhabitants have been able to procure UNHCR cards.

“Recently, a few government officials had come here to check our documents. We showed them the UNHCR cards,” Mr. Younus said. However, the community lives under constant fear, he added.

When asked how they reached Delhi, Minara, Mr. Younus’s wife, said, “After facing persecution in 2012, we took a boat and train. We did not know much about Delhi. Back home, someone told us hundreds of our people are living in Delhi. So we came here.”

The couple sells poori-sabzi at a humble stall attached to their kutcha house, which took four years to build. They have bulbs hanging from ceilings, and tarpaulin sheets covering the shanties. Their 5-year-old daughter is studying in a nearby government school. She got admission through a UNHCR card.

Ms. Minara complained that even drinking water was not available. “We have to even buy water. How can we survive without a job?” said the 30-year-old.

What bothers her neighbour, Sitara Begum, 33, who too arrived in 2012, is children’s education. “My eldest daughter is not getting admission to any school as we do not have the necessary documents. Schools have started admitting students based on UNHCR cards, but no school is admitting her as she is now 13 and considered too old for primary classes,” said the mother of three daughters.

“We have no other option but to take private tuitions,” she asserted.

However, Mr. Deen said what was making life more difficult was the Rohingya attached to their names.

“One of my sons works in a meat shop, and the other is a rag-picker. It isn’t easy to find work, especially because of the name. Moreover, we do not have Aadhaar cards,” he explained.

Published - December 16, 2024 01:11 pm IST