They claim to have escaped from the riotous mob in their hometown of Buthidaung
It was no easy journey for Noor Mohammed to reach Hyderabad from Myanmar. The 22-year-old, along with his wife and a one-and-a-half year-old son, claim to have escaped from the riotous mob in their home town of Buthidaung in Myanmar and land in Hyderabad.
“They killed my father in front of us and I escaped along with my wife and child. I do not know about the fate of my mother and other family members. I walked through the forest and entered India and reached Kolkata. There I worked as a labourer for a few days and then headed to Hyderabad,” says a distraught Noor.
Around thirty families have taken refuge at Balapur, Kishanbagh and Hafeezbaba Nagar in old city here. They are still terrified and one can see it as they speak.
Scores are believed to have been killed and many displaced in the ongoing clashes between the Rakhine Buddhist and the Rohingya Muslims.
Hamidul Haq, 28, a Madrassa teacher from Buthidaung in Myanmar, shudders to recall the violence back home. “Rakhine mobs were on a killing spree. To escape them I left my family and ran away into a near by forest and along with a group of people crossed into India,” he says.
Same is the plight of other refugees who had to take shelter in the forest to escape the mob fury. “My house was burned down after we were asked to stay in the forest to avoid being killed. In the forest we survived by eating some fruits and leaves,” says Kafiathullah, 25, a teacher, in a choked voice.
Mohd. Rasheed, 55, an agricultural worker came to Hyderabad 20 days ago along with his family comprising nine members. “I will not go back to my country. I have lived all my life there only to be victimised,” he says. There were two other families who came along with him but they got separated on reaching India.
Allegations of people being killed by security forces while promising to take them to safer places are common. In fact, many feel the security forces are hand in glove with the marauding gangs.
The conflict began sometime in the month of June after a Burmese woman was allegedly raped by Rohingya Muslims. However, the refugees contest the claim. “It was only an excuse to start a fresh round of ethnic cleansing,” argues Abu Siddiq.
When contacted, Mazher Hussain, Executive Director of Confederation of Voluntary Association (COVA) - an implementing partner for UNHCR-India, said that they were helping people get ‘refugee status’ and that a few of them had managed to carry their identity proof issued by Myanmar government along with them.
Keywords: Myanmar government, security forces, migrants
Something doesn’t fit in this picture. Noor Mohammad says that the families of
These Rohingya Muslims were hounded by Rakhine Buddhists and they were forced to flee from the riotous mob in their home town of Bothiduang somewhere deep in Myanamar. As Noor says it is a hazardous journey. The Bay of Bengal needs to be crossed to reach Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. The easiest land route for these refugees would have been to cross into Bangladesh.
Its sad to hear what is happening in there native land. Govt. of India should definitely help them in this difficult situation. But should also ensure there return when the situation improves. Hope, it won't turn into a vote bank politics as happened in Assam.
Ethnic cleansing is becoming the order of the day where democratic
championing and human rights are getting more space in our political
culture globally. This duality in our practices and doings will surely
uproot many communities on the basis of race, religion and tribe.
Myanmar is seen with full hope as the new democratic structure should
definitely come up with certain strict basic ensurement to the
plighted communities.Rakhine and Rohingya may be the Buddhist and
Muslim respectively but global humanity spirit cannot be cracked and
twisted on the narrow divisional basis. Myanmar, your democratic
institution needed to be strengthened in essence to uphold the the
very basic human rights.
I welcome these people to Bharat and hope they find peace and security
here. If one day you can safely return back to your home town, and you
wish to, all the best. But until then, your presence here will add to
the diversity of this wonderful country. Hyderabad is a wonderfully
multicultural place. Welcome!
I am shocked to see an esteemed newspaper like Hindu is publishing fanatics and racist comments here.Will they tell the same to millions of Tamils who came from Sri Lanka during the civil war? Is it being the Rohingya refugees are Muslims?India is a signatory to UN convention on refugees. We are a secular country and not a fascist. Very disappointing and unfortunate, to see we have many people who are having hatred towards Muslim community. As rightly said by Prabhjot, if other countries view us Indians as the fanatics here, it could spell hell for all Indians across the globe. Please Hindu, dont publish such inflamming comments in the interests of our nation's harmony.
India should help those people who are coming from Myanmar. They are not
the tourists but came here to save their life. Why you all people create
so much fuss when the citizens of our country are treated like this (or
a bit better) in U.S especially those who go there to earn money leaving
their own country. there do not feel patriotic towards the country.
Giving the shelter to them (people from Burma) is the LEAST we can do
for them and for the sake of humanity.
Disgusting comments about not allowing these poor souls into India! real shame on those people! I am glad they found shelter in India and this is a clear indication that India has place for all religion to coexist!
The article mentions people who are being hounded out by rioters, about people who barely managed to escape with their lives to reach India. Their near and dear ones are probably still in danger or have suffered the worst fate. It is not as though they people have come voluntarily.
The government, if necessary with the help of the UN, should register them and provide basic facilities to them and see if they can be repatriated to Burma when things calm down. If they cannot return to Burma, they should be repatriated either in India or some other country.
The comments in response to this article by many of the posters is shocking. But then they just reflect the moral (double) standards of many of the citizens of this country. Hopefully, when even these posters think calmly about the situation, they will be able to keep aside any prejudice that caused them post what they did and they will vouch for the right option.
India is country struggling to feed the existing billion of poeple .India's open border courtsies have fetched the coutry a handful of unpleasant experience .Would that be different in case of Myanmar refugees?It would have been if the country had taken some initiatives to stop the genocide in Myanmar through bi-lateral relations than acting as a safe haven for refugees.India should involve into the affair, help ease the situation and get them back to their country soon.
Sadly none of the above commenters want to look at the sad plight of these people who had to leave all they ever build to save their life.
The feeling you guys have for these people is the one shared by people in UK/US/Candada/Australia when it comes to immigration there by Indians along with other people.
India should of coruse help these people and try to get them back to Burma as and when peace and stability prevails there.
It is very sad to see the suffering of Burmese people even in this developed world.Where is UN? and where is super powers? Are they sleeping? I apperciate India that they are giving healing touch to them.
Be an Indian Be a human being.
I wish to say one thing those who commented here. If such things
happened with your family, for example, if your parent burnt alive in
front of you and your wife or mother or sister killed in front of you,
what you will you do.
When will they go back? Is govt. of aware of this? It is a good thought to give shelter to refugees, but not at expense of citizens. We are 1.3 billion country. On the whole it is the common man who will be losing.
Not one or two but how could groups of people cross over border without anybody noticing. We definitely need strict border laws and good leaders with good foresight.
Please Email the Editor