Rohingyas: Hundreds Protest at Myanmar Embassy in Delhi

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Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, Sep 13: Hundreds of people – men and women, young and old – came out here on Wednesday to protest over the violence against Rohingyas in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. It was the biggest protest demonstration for Rohingyas at the Myanmar Embassy in India’s capital in recent times. The protesters also denounced the Indian government’s move to deport around 40,000 Rohingyas living in different parts of the country.


Protest for Rohingyas at Myanmar Embassy in Delh on 13 Sep 2017.

Held under the banner of Solidarity With Rohingyas, it was a multi-faith protest with leaders from different religious communities besides intellectuals, politicians, human rights activists, students in attendance.

The protesters were carrying placards with different messages, slogans and demands printed on them.


Protest for Rohingyas at Myanmar Embassy in Delh on 13 Sep 2017.

Eminent figures included Father M D Thomas, Ravi Nair, Prof Manoj Jha, Mohammad Salim Engineer, Nusrat Ali, Mohammad Ahmed, Prof Apoorvanand, Navaid Hamid, Mohit Pandey and Shehla Rashid.

“Rohingyas are legally citizens of Myanmar but they are being uprooted from there and thrown on roadsides as refugees without food, shelter, dignity and life. It is shame for that country,” said eminent scholar of inter-faith dialogue Father MD Thomas while talking to IndiaTomorrow.net on the sideline of the protest.

Ravi Nair, Executive Director of South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC), while referring to the hints from the central government to deport Rohingyas from India, said that the Gujarat High Court and Mumbai High Court have in the past ruled that without any investigation and without determination from UNHCR, no refugee can be forcibly sent back.

Prof. Manoj Jha of Delhi University said that India should remain on its old stand about refugees and asylum seekers.

“The message of this protest is very loud and clear. We want India to remain committed to the stated position we had on refugees and asylum seekers. We remain committed that victims of genocide anywhere are welcome. This is our India about which Swami Vivekananda had said that the persecuted anywhere people found home here. But the worst thing is that our government celebrates the calendar birthday of Swami Vivekananda ji but does not follow his ideas in letter and spirit,” said Jha who is also national spokesperson of RJD.

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