Editor,
In your editorial “Rohingyas not Refugees” (ST Sep 21, 2017), you have stated that Rohingyas are not refugees but they are illegal immigrants like the Bangladeshis who enter India illegally. In this regard I would like to inform you that the UNHCR has issued identity cards to about 16,500 Rohingyas in India to help “prevent harassment, arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation”. So can these be equated with Bangladeshi Illegal immigrants? Their identification by one of the esteemed organizations of the world must be seriously considered. You have also stated that by deporting illegal immigrants India would not be violating any international convention. You must be aware that UNHCR’s India office has said that the principle of non-refoulement was considered part of customary international law and binding on all states whether they have signed the Refugee Convention or not. For the sake of argument even if I agree with you, but does it befit our country with the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and which has a long tradition of receiving refugees to throw them to their place of persecution to be killed therein? You also suggested that by expelling them to Bangladesh we will not be endangering them to persecution. How can you arbitrarily suggest that they should be expelled to Bangladesh, without consent from the authorities in Bangladesh? Border Guards Bangladesh are all over the border and will block their entry and their lives might be endangered. When we can give refuge to Tamils of Sri Lanka, Tibetans and to Pakistani and Bangladeshi Hindus then why not to Rohingyas? Is it because of their religion?
Nearly 500 Rohingya Hindus have arrived in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar and they are given protection there without any religious discrimination. The editorial also stated that there are ample evidences that terrorist groups are operating in the Rakhine province. But all these concerns are for the Rakhine region which is not in India. Nearly 7,000 Rohingya have moved the Supreme Court, saying, there is not a single terrorist among them. They reside peacefully on privately owned lands rented out by Indian nationals, most of whom are Hindus. There had not been a single allegation of terrorism against any Rohingya ever since the community began living in Jammu. The local police conduct regular interrogation of all the Rohingyas and they cooperate with the police. Branding all Rohingyas as terrorists is both unfair and discriminatory. We cannot compromise with any terrorist activities and if there are any terrorists then the Government should take action against them. But the commoner must not suffer. The editorial stated that no country in the world today wants to shelter refugees. This is totally wrong as there are countries like Germany, Greece, and others in Europe which have given shelter to refugees. An estimated 300,000 refugees are in Germany, following’s Angela Merkel’s open-door policy. Sweden has been a major destination for Syrian refugees. The Rohingyas are termed as the world’s most persecuted minority and deserve human treatment by all of us.
Yours etc.,
ZA Siddiqui,
Shillong-2
Agricultural loan waiver
Editor,
The much publicized farmer’s agitation in practically all states requires a deeper study. So many loans turning foul due to draught or floods belies all reasoning. Who or which banks have advanced the loans and who are the beneficiaries of such loans? These loan have been advanced largely by the Rural Banks or Co – Operative Banks. Loans have been advanced to farmers who did not need bank finance. Those who needed loans had to palm off between 40 – 60 % of the loan amount to middle men and / or bank officials. The waiver defies ‘all tenets of prudent economics. The agitation is a reflection of a beggar mentality.
The Govt. succumbs to the same because of vote bank politics. If one borrows he is morally bound to pay and if it is a state of depression which is created by lack of due diligence at the time of advancing the loans, the same should stop. Then the likes of Vijay Mallya and Subrata Roy are no criminals. To ride over the crises the Govt. should give the affected farmers a little more loan at 0% or very nominal rate of interest and make a repayment schedule. This should be done only through a nationalized bank preferably the State Bank of India. Let the farmers also feel proud of their country and owe responsibility for its march towards prosperity and not beg for free sops. The present political gimmick should be jettisoned.
Farmers should be agitating to find ways to alleviate draught and control floods – by linking rivers, dredging rivers, rivulets and dams rather than the annual feature of loan waiver (which is more a political gimmick). Farmers should be educated to force the Govt. to channelize extra water from flood affected areas to those regions facing droughts. They should feel proud of their country and not beg for waivers. Eventually the hole created by these waivers has to be paid by the genuine tax payer. The rising cost of commodities and products have dragged the nation into quagmire of a badly managed economy.
Yours etc.,
B.P. Goenka
Shillong – 1