Tasmida Johar, who was the first Indian Rohingya woman to earn a bachelor’s degree that inspired other Rohingya women to pursue education.
When asked about the feeling of getting a bachelor’s degree, she said “It was a feeling of war.”
“I am happy to be in the headlines. At the same time, I feel sad again. I am happy to have graduated. But it’s also a source of fear for me. Tasmida told Al Jazeera while sitting in a Muslim-dominated park in New Delhi.
“I feel sad that there are many Rohingya women who are not trying to get educated.”
According to UN data, there are about 20,000 Rohingya living in India. Many of them fled before 2017. Out of this number, only 1000 Rohingyas are living in Delhi, India.
Since the BJP came to power in India in 2014, the Rohingyas have been subjected to hatred and persecution. Last year, the Indian government said that the Rohingya would be kept in refugee camps until they were sent back to Myanmar.
26-year-old Zohar said that she has been displaced twice. She born in Myanmar and named as Tasmin Fatima. But her parents were soon forced to change her name.
In 2012, in an attack by Bangladeshis, her father was arrested and eventually released. Following the incident, her family decided to move to India.
At first her family migrated to Haryana. As there was no opportunity to get an education, finally they took refuge at Kalindi, Kunj camp in New Delhi.
Johar said that she faced many hurdles when came to India. She was scared for she was a Rohingya and did not know Hindi language.
“I didn’t want my identity to be revealed to all the children at school because neither did I want any special treatment nor did I want to face any indifference or being called terrorist and other names. Rohingya have faced these remarks far too many times in this country. Hence, I kept to myself most of the time,” she said.
“Many times, I did not get a seat in the bus,” said the Rohingya woman, who graduated in political science from Delhi University. But that was nothing compared to what we faced. The success you achieve after suffering feels different.”
When Johar left Bangladesh to live in India she saw fear in his community. Because many Rohingya families feel that if they send their children abroad to study, the government can take them away, or anyone can kidnap them. Or may be a victim of rape. which took place in Burma.
Many neighbors ask her parents, what to do with her education, if something happens to her?
But Tasmida did not listen to them. Now that she has become successful, many people’s attitudes have been changed. Now many Rohingya families are sending their children to school to study. Some are also hiring tutors at home.
25 refugee students who are disadvantaged and interested in pursuing higher education have been selected under UNHCR’s Duolingo programme. Johar is one of them. Johar will now go to Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada under the Duolingo programme.
Tasmida dreams of becoming a human rights activist. She wants to work on women’s education and women’s health. Also raise voice against women who are victims of trafficking at a young age.
“My dream is to go to the International Court of Justice and report the plight of the Rohingya refugees. Because day by day we are disappearing from the world.”
