The Rohingyas have been described as “one of the most persecuted minorities in the world” by the United Nations, yet the Rohingya refugee crisis is almost entirely absent from world headlines, and ignored even by many prominent international organisations and world governments. Rohingya Muslims belonging to Arakan region of Myanmar have been expelled from their homeland following the clashes with Rakhine Buddhist population. The seeds of this hostility were sown back in the 18th century when the Buddhist from the south of Burma conquered the Arakan region which had a considerable population of Muslims who were ultimately forced to flee to neighboring Bengal, then part of the British India. Again, to further their economy, Britishers sponsored a forced migration of many people from Bengal to the Arakan region (this included the Rohingyas and the native Bengalis) for farming purposes. Hence, perpetuating the conflict which escalated into a large scale violence, reaching its high point in 2012.
In the recent past, many Rohingyas have migrated to countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia etc, They have been living in poor conditions and have witnessed physical as well as psychological violence.
In India the Rohingyas are living in refugee camps in New Delhi, Hyderabad and elsewhere. In New Delhi, they stay in Kanchan Kunj area. The only mark of identification they have is an identity card provided by the UNHCR. The latter also looks into their grievances and immediate needs. The men of the camp work inside the camp in small constructions or are employed outside in local market. (Courtesy of thecitizen.in)
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