To All Delegates Attending Parallel Session on

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To All Delegates Attending Parallel Session
on
Welcome
Displaced Bodies
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Title of paper
Bangladeshi Refugees in India During the Age of
Globalization A Human Rights Approach
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Who are Refugees?

• In common usage a refugee is an
• Illegal Migrant,
• Non-national,
• Migrants,
• Semi-nations,
• Undocumented
• Asylum Seekers
• Miscellaneous terms in various references
• UNHCR Convention (1951)
• A refugee is a person who is outside her
  country of origin and genuinely risks serious
  human rights abuses because of who she is or what
  she believes. She cannot or will not return
  because her government cannot or will not protect
  her.

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What are their rights?

• Protection against discrimination
• Freedom of religious
• Work rights
• Housing, education and relief operations
• Protection against penalties for illegal entry
• Freedom of Movement
• For Comprehensive List of Articles ( 1 to 46)
  UNHCR Convention Relating to the Status of
  Refugees,1951, www.unhcr.org

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The Objectives of the Paper are to examine

• Complex Character of Globalization in the context
  of India that remains the largest economic
  laboratory in South Asia.
• The nature of skilled and semi skilled workers
  of transnational character and criteria for
  global economy.
• Role of Human Right Agencies to promote
  multifaceted socio-ethnic relations and the
  protection of hyper national identity.
• Indias much acclaimed liberal democratic
  traditions and the rights of citizenship
• Role of global agencies, and associated human
  right bodies to frame transnational policies,
  sanctions, admissions, treaties and status.
• The character of critical demographic data.
• Vote Banking and religious status of Hindu vs
  Muslim refugees in India
• Role of NGOs and academic bodies to project the
  true image of refugees
• Agreement and disagreement between dialogue of
  globalization and ethno-cultural diversities to
  admit/accept Bangladeshis in India.
• Indias image in UN including the world public
  opinion
• Refugee versus vote banking
• Banddn
• Mmmrr

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Towards the Theories of Migration

• Theory one
• Unwanted (non productive force -Palestinians in
  Israel )
• Rejected socially boycotted like Biharis in
  Bangladesh
• Theory two
• Mandate ( loosely documented like Afghanis,
  Burmese, Iranians, Somalis, Sudanese and others
  in India)
• Non-Mandate ( Undocumented Like Bangladeshis,
  Tibetans, Sri Lankan, others)

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Refugees A Brief History

• Two Nation Theory
• 1947 Partition and independence
• Hindus as minorities, left after 1947
• 1971 Pak army campaigned to crush the
  nationalist Movement
• 1971 Biharis in India collaborated Pak army
  against India

India during Colonial Phase Atlas shows Pakistan
and Bangladesh (East Pakistan) as part of Indian
continent

Post-Independent India
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December 1971 total 825 Refugee camps 9.8
million refugees in different parts of India
-       
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Refugee- A Brief History

• 1973-74 UN Relief Operation in Dhaka Karachi
• 1975 Assassination of Sheikh Muziburrehman
  (Hindus were forced to Leave country- communal
  flare)
• 1975-1986 Influx of Chakma Refugees in
  India
• 1992 Babri Mosque demolition
• 9/11 Episode

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Classification of Bangladeshi Refugees in India
Buddhists (Chakma,Marma,Kheyang,and
Chak)-Geographically Boycotted
The Picture shows the pathetic story of Chakmas
at Assam (left one) while the right one shows an
untraced Bangladeshi beggar in Assam, the North
East Province of India
Tictures in Assam s
Reference The Statesman (New Delhi), 27 July
2002
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Other Categories

• Hindus (Tipara)- Religiously boycotted
• Christians (Bawm, Pankhua, and Lushei)- Bible
  Fellowship Missions (North East India)
• Muslims (Bengalis) Economically boycotted
• Animism (Mro, Tanchangya, Reang, and Khumi)
• Non-identified tribal groups
•  
• Reference Ross Mallick, Development, Ethnicity
  and Human Rights in South Asia (New Delhi), Sage
  publications, 1998), table 6.4, P.181.

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Table of Refugee Population in
India as on 01.01.2003Source Data extracted
from India Today (Delhi), 28(7), 7 Feb.2003, p.11.
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Refugee Studies An Emerging Interest of
International Relations

• Intensification and complexity of irregular
  migrations in South Asia
• No proper institute or study centres in the
  Indian Universities/NGO
• Conferences Workshops (Astha Bharti, a leading
  initiative )

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REFUGEE STUDIES IN INDIA

• Centre for Refugee Studies, Jadavapur
  University, Kolkata
• Center for South Asian Studies, JNU, New Delhi
• Centre for Diaspora Studies, Hyderabad Central
  University
• REFUGEE STUDIES IN BANGLADESH
• Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies,
  Dhaka
• Bangladesh Institute of Law and International
  Affairs, Dhaka
• Department of International Relations, University
  of Dhaka.

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Human Right Organisations NGOsin India

• National Human Rights Commission
• Indian Institute of Human Rights, New Delhi
• Social Legal Information Cell, New Delhi
• South Asia Peace Forum, New Delhi
• Association for the Protection of Domestic
  Rights, Mumbai
• Human Right Organisation NGOs in Bangladesh
• Bangladesh Human Rights Bureau
• Refugees and Migration Unit, Dhaka.
• Inter Religious Unit for Peace
• Bangladesh Association for UNHCR (Eminent Persons
  Group )

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Refugees (Nature of Work) Globalisation

• Bangladeshi men work as Snake-charmers, Rickshaw
  pullers, rag pickers, borers, bidi makers, snake
  charmers, cobblers, barbers, etc. women work as
  maids or domestic
• Servants in middle-class Indian households in
  hardship unhygienic conditions and even wonder
  in search of food and shelter. Cases of
  prostitutions, natural disasters and neglected
  children are frequently reported (as pictures
  shown below )
•  
•  

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Refugees and Social Relationship

• Globalization also support
• Enjoyment of common language culture and
  lifestyle (With Bengalis)
• Share cultural norms with Indian Muslim
  communities.
• Common Food Habits,
• Multilingual culture
• Kinship Bonds (Marriage sindhurs ,bindis, sarees,
  rituals, traditional dresses, etc)
• Intermixing behaviors (worship, caste, race,
  Language)
• Shelter in slum areas (Mumbai, Kolkata and
  Delhi)

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Role of Transborder Dalals (Brokers)

• Enjoyment of common language culture and
  lifestyle
• Dalals in Bangladesh and India recruit
  manpower agencies, touts, brokers, travel
  agents, etc with political support.
• Indian documents like passports, voters ID, and
  ration-cards are easily available to minimize
  the risks of detention
• Activities like smuggling and drug trafficking
  with support of refugees work well.
• Indian Documents like passports, voters ID, and
  ration-cards are easily
• available to minimize the risks of detention
• Activates on Porous Border- An Easy Asset as
  shown below

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Vote Banking Political Parties

• Religion Cross Border Migration associated
  with Muslim Bangladeshi Refugees
• Hindu Refuges support to BJPs Hindutva and
  Hindus Rashtra (Nation)
• Operation Push Back plan ( 1992)Political
  Division in Congress. Congress upset with BJPs
  Anti Muslim Ideology
• Earlier leaders like VP Singh, HKL Bhagat,
  sympathisers with Muslim Bangladeshis

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Opinions of Bangladeshis in India

• We are not Bangladeshis. We have all proofs of
  being Indians. All our relatives are in Delhi and
  Calcutta VP Singh promised us to give ID Cards,
  saying we are Indians  Quoted from Navhind Times
  (Goa), 8 Feb.2003,p.7
• I am being forced to go. I am the only one
  from my family who is being send away. My two
  kinds and wife are still here
• Quoted from EPW (Mumbai),
  38(7),Feb.2003,pp.641-42
• What Opposition Leaders Say ?
• Congress government depends on illegal
  Bangladeshis for winning elections
• Quoted from P.Singh, Indias Border
  management Challenges Dialogue ( Delhi),
  18(2),Oct.Dec. 2006, p.95

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Stand of Nationalist BJP

• Describes as invisible silent invasion and
  demographic aggression
• Conduct of Nationwide survey.
•  Highlight their in context on political
  controversies.
• Stringent action against Refugees Crossing over
  Indian Border
• No compromise with Muslim refugees
• Easy way to enter in India as shown in
  picture

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Outcomes

• The Anti Muslim sentiments in India promote
  Anti-Hindu Sentiments in in Bangladesh (11
  Hindu population).
• Higher cases of deportation against Muslims.
• Modus Operandi of Action Plan for
  identification, detection and deportation
  presents controversies.
• Undermines peace process
• BSF Role questioned
• Merciless killings of BSF Personnel (Indian)
  by Local Bangladeshis is frequently reported (as
  one picture shown below-extreme left first one
  while second and third slides show the BSF on
  Duty

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Problems Countered Measures

• cross border movements of illegal migrants ( 15
  million since 1971).
• Militant Activities like ULFA,BODO on rise
• Counter Killings of BSF and BDR - a routine
  exercise.
• Various Legislations in India
• Illegal Migration Determination by Tribunals
• Foreign Contribution Regulation Act
• Mobile Task Force
• National Security System

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Does Globalisation accept Restriction over
Refugees ?(Some positive arguments )

• In colonial sense, Bangladesh is a part of India.
• India-the largest economic laboratory in South
  Asia.
• India as a responsible member of Global
  Community.
• Issue of Dual Nationality currently demanding.
• Border management-no more a serious problems,
  thanks to IT revolution.
• Acquiring Voters ID Cards, driving license,
  ration cards etc are assets for the politicians.
• phrases like documented, irregular and
  illegal now documented and accepted
  terminologies.
• Migration industry a crucial to new economic
  flow in South Asia.
• 
  

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PEACE INITIATIVES

• 1971 Independence of Bangladesh Shaikh Mujibs
  policy of peace for Bangladeshi Minorities
• 1972 Shanti Lama,CHT Chief proposed for
  Parbattiya Chittagram Jana Sangh Samiti-PCJSS
  (Chittagram Hill Peoples Association.
• 1986 Amnesty International Peace Proposal for
  Refugees
• 1993 International Conference Chakma in New
  Partnership.
• 1994 Tripura based Humanity Protection Forum
  with PCJSS.
• June 1999 Kolkata Lahore Bus Yatra (Journey)
• May 2003 Women for Dhaka Peace Trips (Journey
• October 2003 US Plan to Start Asian
  University for Women in Dhaka
• 21 March 2006 Delhi Dhaka Steps to Build Trust

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FINDINGS
n Right to live with Dignity access to Uniform
Treatment. nNGOs need to work as Independent
Bodies. nInitiative for partnership with
international NGOs. nImmediate implementation of
National Migration Policy with support of
National Human Rights Commission. nBetter
Management through creative partnership with
local bodies. nIncentives for essential
commodities. nFunding operations in refugee
camps.

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Conclusions
n Representations of Refugees at wider scale by
all means. n No case of harassment and arbitrary
prosecution be allowed. nFreedom for family
reunification, choice to opt citizenship to
promote integration into larger
community. nPeople to people initiatives to
monitor the political development. nIncentives
for greater democratization  for effective
communication policy. nHold responsible for
officials about any misgiving. nBoth India and
Bangladesh need to work  with UNHCR to offer
better possibilities of resettlements.
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Thanks for your patience
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By Dr. Badar UddinReader in Political
SciencePES College of Arts Science ( Goa
University )Farmagudi, Ponda 403 401 Goa,
INDIA  E-Mail drbadar_at_rediffmail.com