Hyderabad’s Rohingya refugees fight language barriers

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ASIF YAR KHAN

THE HINDUBurmese refugees being briefed at the relief and rehabilitation committee meeting in Hyderabad's Old City on Sunday. — Photo: G. Ramakrishna

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims who came to the city escaping persecution in their native Burma, continue to face bad times. With knowledge of neither Urdu nor Telugu, they lose out on jobs here

They came all the way to Hyderabad to escape persecution back home and for a better livelihood. But a year later, most of them have failed to land jobs.

Reason: they couldn’t pick up local languages. Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims who came to the city in hope of better days continue to face bad times as job opportunities elude them as they do not know either Urdu or Telugu.

Rohingyas from different provinces of Myanmar entered India sometime ago to escape violence in that country. Many of them live in small tenements in Hafeezbabanagar, Pahadeshareef, Balapur, Mir Momim Pahadi and Kishanbagh.

Abdul Mabud, 24, who hails from Maungdaw in Myanmar, owned a shop in his hometown until he crossed over to India to escape clashes in his country sometime ago.

“I ran away to escape mobs and crossed over to India. But I am not getting any work as I do not know the local language, and I am forced to live on donations made by philanthropists,” says Mabud. Kifayathullah, 26. In fact, Kifayathullah, who knows Urdu, helps his fellow countrymen convey their problems to locals.

It is a similar story for Abdul Malik, 65. The elderly man is now dependent on his son for food.

“Age and language barriers are posing a lot of problems for me,” says Malik. His son works in a factory and earns about Rs. 6,000 a month.

Moved by the refugees’ plight, scores of people are coming forward with donations to help them survive. But the tribe is unsure about its continuation here.

Scores of Rohingyas gathered at the inaugural function of Burmese Refugees Relief and Rehabilitation Committee (BRRRC) here on Sunday. Many attended it in the hope of finding a solution to their problems. Nearly 1,500 Rohingyas have settled down in the city.

Nazimuddin Farooqui, chairman, Salamah Trust, who set up BRRRC, said his organisation planned to help Rohingyas by providing necessary basic education to their children by enrolling them in schools and providing them hostel facilities, besides taking up issues including refugee status.

Keywords: Rohingya, Myanmar, refugees, religious conflict, employment, Urdu, Telugu, Hyderabad, Hafeezbabanagar, Pahadeshareef, Balapur, Mir Momim Pahadi, Kishanbagh, Burmese Refugees Relief and Rehabilitation Committee

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Sunday, 30 June 2013