They are refugees, not terrorists

The Rohingya crisis has been a hot topic of discussion across the global platforms.

The recent stance of Narendra Modi government in the Supreme Court might have certainly shocked all those who doesn’t harbour a narrow political outlook. The Centre told the apex court that the Rohingya Muslims were linked to terror groups and they posed a severe threat to the nation’s security and therefore the Supreme Court shouldn’t be intervening in the matter. The government also claimed that the refugees who come up to around 40, 000 were illegal immigrants and that they were consuming the welfare facilities implemented by the government for the citizens which couldn’t be legally justified. The government in the affidavit has asked the judiciary not to intervene in the decision of deporting all those who fled from the neighbouring country of Myanmar. Given that more than 20 lakh refugees from different nations have sought asylum in the country, the inhumane approach towards a community, who fled their homeland out of extreme violence and persecution, being rampantly discoursed should come as no surprise. The hapless Rohingya who reside in different states of the country in extreme poverty and poor living conditions, haven’t so far been proved to raise any security threat. It is absolutely certain that even the common man wouldn’t believe the claims of the government to convince the court, that the Rohingya have terror links and that they would jeopardize the existing peace, as true testament. Although decades have passed since the influx of large number of Rohingya refugees began, they haven’t been proved to raise security threats of any kind in any country. The conviction that there would be little resistance if the name of terrorism is used, might have what prompted the union Home Ministry to hurl such an extremely severe allegation. Is it absolutely idiotic and senseless to believe that the people would blindly swallow the fact that a community, who struggles hard to survive living on the leftovers given by the locals or fruits and roots found in the forests, would take up weapons and resort to terrorism?

The permanent solution for the Rohingya crisis is only a change of Apartheid-policy towards the Muslims in the Rakhine state. World countries, United Nations and different human rights organisations across the world are exerting pressure on the Myanmar government in this regard. India that has always stood firm its upright and humanitarian policies and stance in such matters. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently paid a visit to Myanmar, the shameful sight of India siding with the oppressors was what was witnessed. When the PM blatantly agreed with the remarks of Aung San Suu Kyi that the Rohingya were involved in terror activities, we were compelled to deliberately overlook forget the crux of an issue dating back to centuries. And the truth that it is derived from the ideologies of the Sangh Parivar, couldn’t be concealed. The only criteria we followed so far was humanity, regardless of the country or the faith, to which the refugees belong to. It’s true that India doesn’t come among the nations who signed the international agreement, the 1951 Refugee Convention and the protocol of 1967. It doesn’t mean slamming the door on the face of hapless people. In the 70 years of independence, India had adopted a generous stance whenever conflicts erupted in neighbouring countries. The Supreme Court itself had in many instances made clear that the right to life (Article 21) enshrined in the Constitution is not only for the citizens but also for all those seeking refuge in the country. It might be because of this fact that the division bench headed by the Chief Justice while hearing an appeal lodged by two Rohingya youths who faced deportation threats, said that they were emphasizing on the legal aspects of the matter.

The barbaric move of expelling the hapless refugees and sending them back to a country where severe persecution awaits them, is not only impractical but also inhuman. It’s time for all those who believe in humanity to unite against the Centre’s strong decision. At the same time, we alongside the global community, should think of solutions to make Myanmar’s oppressive government to rectify its mistakes.