Introduction

Rohingya are an ethnic group, mostly comprising of Muslims, who mainly live in the Western
Myanmar province of Rakhine. They speak in Bengali language, as opposed to the ordinarily
spoken Burmese language.
Thousands of Rohingya have been fleeing Myanmar, particularly after the August 25th violence
in Western Myanmar. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), that places them among the
“the most vulnerable diaspora of the forcibly displaced” has aforementioned a complete of Commented [AT1]: ??
87,000 Rohingyas have arrived in Asian nations. The main question is are they really voters of
Myanmar? Why are they on a flee now? Let’s have a look upon some facts.
• Though they have been living within the South East Asian nation for generations,
Myanmar considers them as persons who migrated to their land during the Colonial rule. So,
Rohingyas are not granted full citizenship. According the 1982 Burmese citizenship law, a
Rohingya (or any ethnic minority) is eligible for citizenship on condition that he/she provides
proof that his/her ancestors have lived within the country before 1823. Else, they're classified as
“resident foreigners” or as “associate citizens” (even if one of the parent is a Myanmar citizen).
• Since they're not voters, they're not entitled to be a part of government officials. Their
movements are restricted within the Rakhine state.
What happened in 2012?
• Myanmar state, that was ruled by the Military till 2011, has been suspect of ethnic
cleansing (Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic or racial groups from a given
territory by a more powerful ethnic group) of Rohingyas in Rakhine by the U.N. It deported
thousands of Rohingya to Asian nations particularly Bangladesh during 1970’s, additionally the
citizenship law was also enacted by the Military. Things modified very little for the Rohingya even
after the political reforms in 2011 that eventually led to the first primary general elections in
2015, because the democratically-elected government-headed by President Htin Kyaw has been
reluctant to grant citizenship.
• Sectarian violence between Rohingyas and Rakhine’s Buddhist natives began flaring up in
July 2012, following the rape and murder of a Rakhine girl in a very Rohingya-dominated
neighbourhood. The riots, that were triggered as a result, went on for month with causalities on
each the edges. Commented [AT2]: Meaning?

• In October 2012 riots broke out again, because of which the government moved around
1,000,000 Rohingyas to exile camps. Thousands of Rohingyas fled their homes and sought exile
in near Asian nation - Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation. A number of them wanted asylum
in South East Asian nations of Thailand, The Phillipines, Malaysia and Republic of Indonesia.
• This ethnic conflict flared up as spiritual violence spreading to the other provinces of
Myanmar. It absolutely was finally contained in 2013 after military intervention.
India’s position on Rohingya’s crisis
• According to the Ministry of Home Affairs there are nearly 40,000 Rohingyas living in
India. They reportedly reached India from Asian nation through the land route over the years.
MoS Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, recently spoke in the parliament that all Rohingyas in India are
“illegal immigrants” and that they are going to be deported soon, a statement that has shocked
several given the record of India receptive of refugees.
• Without overtly mentioning Rohingya, the Home Ministry in an advisory to states
aforementioned stated “Infiltration from Rakhine State of Myanmar into Indian territory, besides
being burden on the restricted resources of the country additionally aggravates the safety
challenges posed to the country.”
Add a single line that makes the case for the argument
For: India should accept Rohingya Refugees

 India ought to step up to assist the refugees because of these three factors:
Maintain a practice of generosity, economic and strategic factors.
 India is a hospitable nation, because it is the largest democracy within the world and a Commented [AT3]: Reword this line/ para.
democractic country is expected to feel the plight of refugees. And hence there are
expectations that India should extend help to the fleeing Rohingya, a minimum of on
humanitarian grounds, and contribute to assist resolve the conundrum.
 India has been traditionally familiar to be benevolent to refugees. Throughout the late
1980s and early 1990s, it welcome thousands of refugees from Myanmar and provided
basic requirements like food and shelter.
 Another existing example of India's largesse in hospitable refugees is that the presence of
roughly 120,000 Tibetan refugees, residing in different parts of India. Commented [AT4]: How does these 2 points support the
 Projects at stake, peace and stability within the Rakhine state is very important for India's argument? Make a single point where you mention about
India’s hospitality.
economic investment. The continuing violence in Rakhine state has effects on India's
Commented [AT5]: Reword this line
Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport project, geared toward developing transport
infrastructure in south-west Myanmar and India's northeast.
 The statelessness of the Rohingyas and also the lack of sympathy towards the plight of
the Rohingyas have contributed to the adoption of extremist strategies by them. If not
addressed pragmatically, the Rohingya crisis can solely cause a lot of violence, resulting
in a lot of refugees and chronic instability within the region.
Against: India should not settle for Rohingya Refugee

 Refugees are the most vulnerable section, they are simply exploited, vulnerable and made
into activities that they are not willing to do. They need to have food, shelter, protection,
healthcare, education, guidance, training, jobs and slow integration. India being itself a Commented [AT6]: Make this point concise… remove the
redundant part
 developing country and according to UNDP India has 51 % individuals1 living underneath
Multi-Dimensional impoverishment, could not have the sources to ensure all of that.
 India, is a diverse country and has additionally learnt some lessons from the past. Most of
the refugees from neighboring countries have a few cultural and linguistic similarities to
one or more of their own states for example Bangladesh-West Bengal and Sri Lankan Commented [AT7]: How does it oppose the argument?
Tamils- Tamil Nadu.
 It’s comprehensible concerning the considerations in some quarters in India that the
Muslim terrorist teams could expand their networks through some hardline Rohingya.
Bombings in Bodh Gaya in 2013 has been thought of as the revenge attack by Rohingyas
against the Buddhist majority in Myanmar. Hence, accepting them may pose a threat to
the national security and hence it should be scrutinized very carefully, involving all the
departments of Government of India including the Defense Ministry.
 The refugees typically leave the camps and enter the mostly unrecorded general
population and eventually find ways to become an Indian national (during elections for
exchange of votes or through different ways that lawlessly, also it is affirmative now that,
agents who used to facilitate this are inactive within the past).
 Insurgent groups in North-East region of India has been fighting against the Indian
government with the problem of migrating population. The flow of Bengalis in plains of
Assam, Chakma and Hajong refugee's from Bangladesh in Arunachal, Bru migrants in
Tripura from Mizoram etc. has unfold a sense of hate against Indian administration for
not having the ability to manage such migration, that created these native residents to
cut back to minority in their ancestral lands.
 With signing of Assam accord, Naga accord etc. has guaranteed that illegal immigrants Commented [AT8]: Concise the points and make them
one.
would be deported and future flow of non-local would be closely monitored.
Links for further study:
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2017/09/rohingya-crisis-explained-maps-
170910140906580.html

https://news.sky.com/feature/rohingya-crisis-11121896
Add the link mentioned in footnote here.

1
http://www.in.undp.org/content/india/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2017/03/21/exclusion-and-
inequality-lead-to-uneven-development-across-asia.html