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HYDERABAD: A lot of water has flowed down the Musi since the Rohingya refugees migrated to the city four years ago.
Though first accepted as ‘Mazloom Musalmaan’ (oppressed Muslims) by the local Hyderabadis, prolonged social, cultural and economic interaction between the two distinct people has exposed the gulf of culture, language, habits and religious zeal.
“Ehsaanfaramosh logaan hai yeh Burmee. Inke vaastey sar kaatke bhi daal diye toh uspe laath maarte inla (These Burmese are thankless. They would even kick a cut head if placed for them),” extorted Md Shaukat Hussain, pointing at around 15 Rohingyas glued to a Jackie Chan film on a TV set at Shaukat’s restaurant in Royal Colony, Balapur.
Shaukat’s restaurant is being frequented by Rohingyas from all over the Royal Colony and the refugee camps. “Earlier, locals helped them a lot. Recently, donation to Rohingyas have reduced. Despite improvement in economic conditions, many Rohingyas stay at tarpaulin huts for more donation. Locals have also picked up habits of smoking marijuana and drinking from them,” he alleges.
“Locals also come and smoke marijuana with us. We don’t invite them,” said Rohingya driver Abdul Bashid. “After a day’s hard work, we need some addiction. As alcohol is haraam (sin), many of us smoke marijuana,” he added.
Local Md Aleem said that rents have gone up from `700 to `2500 after Rohingyas came in. “One Rohingya paid `1 lakh deposit. Locals can’t afford good houses now,” he said.
Md Qasim, a local who let seven families stay at his one acre plot has recently asked them to find their place to stay. “Our ancestral land would be divided. I even constructed a mosque for them but they do not pray,” said Qasim, who also says Rohingyas are hardworking people who live by manual labour.
The cheap labour offered by Rohingyas has also affected poor locals. “Our people have worked for even `200 while locals demand `700. This has created resentment among the locals,” Md Younus, a Rohingya teacher said.
A Rohingya labourer stated that they get `430 per day and there is no discrimination in terms of wages.
Md Younus demanded that the Rohingyas be resettled to some other country or given permanent citizenship in India. “The long term visa given to us is a bane. Many Rohingyas can buy land here. This will create problems with locals. Either we be repatriated to our country where we will die or resettled in a third country or given citizenship in India,” he said.
“Our people are not getting education or health. Many children are forced to pick rags. What have we gained here? Many Shan Buddhist refugees from Myanmar living in Delhi converted to Christianity and were resettled in Australia. We are stuck here,” he added.
Meanwhile, the police has security fears regarding Rohingyas. “All of them have come through Bangladesh. How do we know who is a terrorist or not?” said Pahadi Shareef SI Narsing Rathod. DCP Shamshabad Sunpreet Singh said that inspection of camps is done regularlyand pictures are taken if new arrivals of refugees are found.
NEWS SOURCE: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/Hyderabadi-Rohingya-relations-turn-sour-over-socio-cultural-differences/2016/08/01/article3557220.ece
