Minority groups take up Rohingya Muslims’ cause, seek Centre’s help

Identified by the United Nations as “one of the world’s most persecuted minorities”, Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar have been denied citizenship in their country despite having lived there for generations and chased off their land in repeated outbreaks of communal violence.

While several thousands have fled to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, close to 10,565 Rohingya Muslims have entered India and are living in 11 states (maximum 6,684 are living in Jammu and Kashmir), according to the figures released by the Bureau of Immigration.

In Bengal, hundreds of Rohingyas (official figure is 309) have crossed over from Bangladesh through illegal routes, and are living under fake identities. “We recently submitted a memorandum to the consulate general of Myanmar but nothing happened. Joint rallies will soon be held across the state on the behalf of Rohingyas. The state government should give them shelter,” said Md Qamaruzzaman, general secretary, All Bengal Minorities Youth Federation.

Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), too, would join the movement soon. “We will hit the streets demanding Indian citizenship for the Rohingyas,” said Sheikh Mohabbat, the organisation’s general secretary. He added that the state government should be sympathetic towards the Rohingyas just as it has been towards the refugees from Assam. “We had recently staged a demonstration outside the High Commission Office of Myanmar in Kolkata. The Centre should take up the cause of Rohingyas and put pressure on the Myanmar government to stop this genocide,” he said.

Members of Bandi Mukti Committee said they have already written to Delhi and would now write to the National Human Rights Commission. “We would also meet the Rohingyas who have been put behind the bars (because of lack of identity-related documents),” a member said.

“Many got arrested while entering India through the Bangladesh border. To avail refugee status (which will enable them to stay legally and protect them from getting arrested), they need to get in touch with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees but they are unable to do so,” said a senior member of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an international NGO working for the cause of Rohingyas.