NEW DELHI: Fearing crackdown, detention, Rohingya refugee families begin leaving the Hardaha, the only camp on the southern outskirts of Kolkata’s West Bengal.
The development comes following the Central government advisory to states to identify Rohingya refugees and collect their biometric details
The deportation of seven Muslim men to neighbouring Myanmar after the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the matter further added to the fear.
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/deported-rohingyas-will-be-killed-very-soon-fear-refugees-staying-camp-1417342/”]Deported Rohingyas ‘will be killed very soon’, fear refugees staying in camp[/also_read]
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who chaired the 23rd meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council on October 1 in Kolkata which was attended by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that states have been asked to identify Rohingya refugees and collect their biometric data, the report of which will be sent to Myanmar.
“They have read reports and are in fear. They have started to leave over the past two weeks. They have faced atrocities in Myanmar and say they will be killed if they return. They have told me that they would rather commit suicide here if they are forced to return than be hacked to death there. In Assam, Rohingya are detained and pushed back to Myanmar,” said Gazi, head of Desh Banchao Samajik Committee, reported The Indian Express.
More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Rakhine in August 2017 after Myanmar’s army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state, retaliating the attacks by insurgents, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on the country’s police posts and a military base.
A large number of Rohingya refugees, since then, have taken shelter in India and Bangladesh, and are staying in refugee camps, often raising security concerns.