‘Criminal for politics’: Crossfire caught in Rohingya Delhi election | Rohingya News

New Delhi, India -Every morning, Mohammed*, 32, sees his 12-year-old daughter, Fatima*, wakes up with the same enthusias Sprinting at a government school is a special area in the Northeast, where they live in tight rented rooms with about 40 other Rohingya families.

Fatima is one of a handful of Rohingya children in Khajuri Khas with access to formal education in a government school. Many other children, including his younger brother Ahmed*, have been denied school entry for years.

As soon as a new academic year begins next month, Fatima fears that she may face the same fate.

On Christmas Day in December, as thousands of disciples from Delhi were ready for winter break, the Chief Minister of the National Capital Region, who goes by his first name, posted on X: “Today, today, the Education Department of Delhi Government Pass is passed by a strict order that Rohingya should not be given admission in government schools in Delhi. ,

A former Rhodes scholar studying at Oxford, a relatively new political power in India, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, a popular “supporter-poor” in 2012 and its foundation for contradiction Keep it Agitation.

AAP, which has been controlling the National Capital Region of Delhi for more than a decade, has been demanding a return to power in the provincial assembly elections on Wednesday. The results will be declared on Saturday.

But this year, AAP faces a serious challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right -wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which controls 20 of 36 states in India and federally controlled provinces (called the center area. Goes)-or through alliance partners-but have been out of power in the national capital for more than 25 years.

‘Parties are trying to get each other out’

On 11 December, the Lieutenant Governor, appointed by the BJP of Delhi, ordered a special drive to identify and work against “all illegal migrants from Bangladesh”, which could be “involved in criminal activities” in the city.

Earlier, India’s neighbor, Bangladesh, hosts more than one lakh Rohingya, which is primarily a Muslim ethnic group, most of which the United Nations in 2017 as a “Textbook Case of Ethnic Cleanliness” by Myanmar Army in 2017. Was described. This was the biggest migration. Among the communities of the state’s oppression in Buddhist-Bahul Myanmar for decades.

Like Mohammed, about 40,000 Rohingya came to India in search of security and livelihood, and settled in many parts of the country. New Delhi is a house of about 1,100 of them, according to 2019 estimates by UN High Commissionerate Refugee (UNHCR), most of them are limited to the city mainly to the Muslim neighborhood.

The BJP and other right -wing groups, whose politics rests on an anti -Muslim platform, has attacked the Rohingya for years, accused them of a “terrorist” link and demanded their arrest and exile from the country. Many have been kept in prevention centers in the capital and other parts of the country.

During a news conference on Monday, BJP spokesperson Sambbit Patra accused the AAP government of “demographic manipulation” to influence the electoral process in the national capital. The Hindu major party has repeatedly accused the AAP of adding “illegal Bangladeshi” to voter lists to expand its vote base.

Addressing an election rally last week, Federal Home Minister Amit Shah promised that if the BJP came to power, it would “free the illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in two years”. Shah – and many in his party – Bangladeshi migrants were referred to as “termites” and “intruders” in many pasts.

In order not to proceed by the BJP in the race for power in Delhi, the AAP government also raised the pitch against the Rohingya, in return the BJP accused the poor border control that provides the facility of their entry into the country.

Four days after Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor ordered a campaign against Bangladeshi migrants, Atisi accused the BJP of “joying” Rohingya. He referred to the 2022 social media post by Federal Minister Hardeep Singh Puri about transferring Rohingya refugees to the government -owned apartment. Modi’s government quickly withdrew on the issue and refused to issue any such instructions.

A few days later, Atisi banned all Rohingya children from seeking admission in public schools in Delhi.

Angshuman Chaudhary, a PhD scholar from the National University, who works on the National Incession, said, “Now this (election) campaign has decreased, where both parties are trying to exclude each other in attacking Rohingya. “

Chaudhary said that this was the first time he saw the government refusing the children systematically.

“Earlier, there was discrimination, but in some schools humanitarian officials used their minds and gave admission to children. This scope has ended because this order has come from above, ”he said.

He said, “Now BJP will not feel like doubling and proving its own Rohingya credibility, if this trend can be” particularly disastrous results “and a spilover effect, especially the BJP- In ruled states.

Apoorvanand, a Hindi professor at Delhi University, also goes by one name, Al Jazira said, “There have been many occasions when AAP has crossed the BJP to target Rohingya.”

He said that AAP is “no different from the BJP when it comes to ultra-asan and resolution anti-life rhetoric”.

“AAP has presented itself as a staunch nationalist and anti-corruption alternative party. Its current anti-roaring is in line with the rhetoric what the party is for a long time. It goes without saying that the last destination of this nationalism is like the BJP. ,

‘Our struggle for security continues’

Caught in an election crossfire between two political parties, many Rohingya say they cannot return to Myanmar. “Two weeks ago, my two cousins ​​in Burma were murdered by an army,” Mohammed told Al Jazeera using the previous name of Myanmar.

However, he said that it is difficult for the community to live in Delhi.

About 25 km (16 mi) from Mohammad’s house in the south -eastern corner of the city, Madanpur Khadar, a dusty, poor colony, which has a camp for Rohingya.

For eight months, the residents of the camp are living without electricity. There are no toilets, and drinking water is supplied twice a week through tankers. Most families here rely on donations, some of their children participate in a neighborhood school.

But in view of another-roaring campaign, they are uncertain about their children’s future education.

“The problem is not just election. This (Rohingya’s goal) has been happening in India for many years. We did not come here for politics, we came to save our lives. But sadly, it seems that we cannot find peace here either. Over the years, we have been criminalized in the name of politics, and our struggle for security continues without ending, ”Rohingya activist and founder of Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, Sabar Why Minra told Al Jazira.

Fatima’s father Mohammad says that denying the education of Rohingya children is not a new event in the city. He says that unlike Fatima, his 10 -year -old son Faizan has not been able to attend the school.

Mohammed told Al Jazeera, “At this age, I don’t want him to feel that he is different.” But all of them refused.

‘Deeply embarrassing’

Mohammed says that the situation deteriorated at the end of 2019 when Modi’s government passed a controversial citizenship law and his party pushed for a national register of citizens-two were seen as anti-Muslim tricks, which In early 2020, nationwide protests and deadly communal riots were triggered in New Delhi.

Mohammed said, “After 2020, most Rohingya children were not admitted to school,” earlier, children such as Fatima received admission using an identity card issued by UNHCR.

Mohammed said, “I met and begs local authorities at least 25 times.” “They ask for Aadhaar (India’s biometric ID) card. We do not have them and we cannot find one because it will be illegal. ,

In October last year, a New Delhi -based NGO, Social Jurist filed a petition before the Delhi High Court, asking why the children of Rohingya were being denied education when equal rights are available for refugees of other countries Were. The petition was dismissed.

The NGO approached the Supreme Court, with a hearing last week, asking the petitioners to find out whether Rohingya stays in the Makshift Camp or regular neighborhood. The apex court will hear the case later this month.

“Even in Delhi, where education was earlier accessible, this exclusion is now happening. It is deeply embarrassing that highly educated persons stop these children from schools, ”New Delhi -based Rohingya activist Ali Johar told Al Jazeera.

“Now, I realize the importance of education,” says Ali’s brother, Salimullah. Her sister, Tasmida, is the first Rohingya female graduate from India and is now pursuing her master in politics from Wilfrid Lawyer University in Canada under an Unhcr-Doolingo program.

“Earlier my family and I were against his education, but our brother (Ali) emphasized and supported it. Today, he has been proud of us and we also support us, ”said Salimullah.

Mohammed says that he wants his children to be educated.

“This is the only way to progress our progress. I cannot read and write. But I feel proud when my daughter reads the phone message for me and replies in English, ”she said.

Since the order of the Ati, Fatima has been requesting her father to be admitted to a private school. Mohammed, a daily wage worker who also depends on the assistance from charity, cannot pay excessive fees to private schools.

But he hopes that the Supreme Court will come to his rescue. “Indian law treats people appropriately,” they say.

Asked which profession Fatima wants to pursue in the future, she said: “She wants to become a teacher … She will teach everyone that all children are children – and equal.”

,Names changed to protect their identity