Raped and Drowned
The winds of violence are sweeping out people like sand, and their own country’s army is looting and raping the souls and bodies of minority community brazenly. A country where the majority (88%) belongs to Buddhism, there is no place for a minority community such as “Rohingyas” who are often subjected to horrific violence. It’s all because of this, the Rohingyas flee their own homeland and are compelled to live in refugee camps in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other South Asian countries, in hopes that they can begin a fresh life and secure a better future. Their women are raped, killed and separated from their families, and no one protects them. Hence, they are forced to flee from treacherous conditions to escape persecution. Many die on their way on rickety boats and their disease-ridden bodies fail to survive, precious lives just drifting like a piece of rag.
Threat to National Security
The government of India contends that those who are starving are living in the receiving countries. “Rohingyas are a threat to our national security and sheltering them would further create problems for our national security”, is the general mindset throughout. The government’s apprehension is really difficult to understand as they believe the Rohingyas would conduct terrorist activities. The government is skeptic about Rohingyas’ presence and not ready to shelter them, although India has a great history of providing assistance and asylum to the refugees; from Tibetans in the 1960s to East Pakistanis in the 1970s, from Sri Lankans in the 1980s to the Afghans in the 1990s. India must shelter them until the condition for them in Myanmar gets better. More than half a million people have already fled and much more will flee soon if the situation does not get better. It is evident that the government behaved discriminately in the case of Rohingyas. Those who came from Bangladesh in the 70s, or from Sri Lanka in 80s, did not pose any security threat but it is believed that Rohingyas are somehow a threat to our country. Mumbling as part of a chorus while one of the biggest human tragedies is unfolding across two of India’s borders, does not suit a nation with global leadership aspirations. It is time to strengthen our stand over this crisis and raise our voice to end this “ethnic cleansing” as a responsible, regional, subcontinental, Asian and neighbor to Myanmar.
Conundrum for humanity
The future of millions of people, who have fled from Myanmar to escape the army crackdown, is ambiguous and the threat to their lives is looming. They cannot return to their own country till the situation for them gets better and are therefore living perilously in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Earlier, U.N reports alluded the steep rise in deaths due to the mismanagement of refugees in attending state and by the report of International Organization for Migration and Inter-Sector Coordination Group, there are more than 6,25,000 people who have poured into Bangladesh since 25 August and more than a million refugees are living in treacherous conditions. The government of Bangladesh is working with international humanitarian organizations to ameliorate the condition in Refugee camps but only half of the refugees are getting the assistance from these initiatives. The number of refugees is so high that it is difficult to provide assistance everyone. Poor countries like Bangladesh cannot be blamed for not providing adequate treatment, therefore the governments of receiving countries must strive to save lives with incessant efforts.
This write up was submitted by Manish Kumar (II Year).
Image Courtesy: The Economist