Rethinking Sustainable Solution To 'Rohingya Crisis' - Limits Of World Bank’s Proposal

Washington-based global lender the World Bank, through concessional lending arms, has gone to bat for Bangladesh to foster its development initiatives since 1972; committing more than $30 billion by backing priorities in economic, social and infrastructural development. 

Since 2018, this UN affiliated multilateral body, largest source of financial assistance to developing nations, has committed a total $590 million grant to support Bangladesh to confront the challenges posed by the influx of the forcibly displaced Rohingya. 

Recently, this bank has been extensively denounced both by policy wonks and mass people after its proposal, through "Refugee Policy Review Framework'' (RPRF), on Rohingya's integration in Bangladesh. How rational is this proposition of the World Bank? 

Four years ago, in late August 2017, "breaking-news" across the world were dominated by the massive influx of Rohingyas to Bangladesh, a result of military-backed bloody "clearance operation". A 444-page report of the UN's Independent Fact-Finding Commission substantiated that more than 7,25,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after this deadly crackdown. 

The degree of atrocities of this "campaign of terror" embarked on by the military was so intense that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights referred to it as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing" whilst other investigators dubbed it as "genocide". In the first three weeks of August 2017, Bangladesh received more refugees than entire Europe did in 2016 during “Syrian crisis”. 

Since then, Bangladesh has been generously hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingyas as short-term guests ensuring "safe haven" on humanitarian grounds. Now, Cox's Bazar based 13 Kilometers long Kutupalong "mega-camp", the largest refugee settlement camp in the world, is the home to this beleaguered community. 

Rohingyas, living in Arakan for thousand years, have been actively involved in Burma's politics since independence. The recognition of Rohingya as Myanmar's citizens by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) resolves their identity crisis by providing a legal base. 

Besides, in the hearing of ICJ, Aung San Suu Kyi defined Rohingyas as Arakan’s Muslims. Myanmar signed two repatriation agreements with Bangladesh in 2018 and 2019 respectively giving consent to take back their citizens. Although these repatriation agreements were in vain due to reluctance of Myanmar, still these agreements are significant proof of Myanmar’s official stance on Rohingyas’ citizenship. 

Though there is no light at the end of the tunnel, still Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, in response to the WB's framework, stated in point blank that they have no desire to receive Bangladeshi citizenship and would like to return to Myanmar. 

The WB has proposed to review the RPRF for 14 member states, currently hosting refugees, including Bangladesh, for gauging the effectiveness of the grants for the refugees and host communities under its "soft-loan window" International Development Assistance. This global framework, being reviewed triennially, undertaken in cooperation with UNHCR, suggests providing refugees the rights to procure land & property, choose place of residence & freedom of movement, have equal access to the nation's public service & the labor market etc. like the citizens of the host country. The WB offered $2 billion to Bangladesh, if it integrates Rohingya refugees with economic & social rights. 

The framework is germane for Bangladesh since this move will pave the way for the Rohingyas to become permanent citizens through integration into Bangladesh’s populace. Bangladesh reiterated its stance, by rejecting the proposal outright, stating that Rohingyas are not “refugees” rather “forcibly displaced persons” to whom Bangladesh extended temporary shelter.

The study "Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities" conducted by the UNDP expounded how the overcrowding Rohingyas affected host communities. The major adverse impact includes price hike, increase of poverty, rise in housing cost, reduction in wage rate, deforestation, environmental casualty etc. 

Moreover, the rise of intragroup and intergroup conflicts in the Rohingya camps shrunk the space of coexistence between the host communities and refugees by recasting the social makeup. This month, August 2021, marks the fourth anniversary of the Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh, but a sustainable solution is yet to be found.

The 1951 Refugee Convention suggests three way-outs to the refugee crisis: integration; settlement to a third country; or repatriation. Approximately 166.65 million population of Bangladesh, 8th largest in the world, makes it one of the densely populated countries with 1,125 people in per sq. km. 

This small country, 92nd in terms of land size, with a total landmass of 147,570 sq. km, slightly smaller than the US Iowa state, is hosting 1.2 million Rohingyas which is higher than the total population of Bhutan. No country in the world is bearing the burden of so many refugees as by overpopulated Bangladesh. Bangladesh, with an unemployment rate of 5.30%, exports approximately 60,000 workers abroad every year which indicates the country's inability to create employment and struggle to generate employment for its gargantuan unemployed youths. 

This attracts pointed attention towards inadequate demand of labor in Bangladesh. So, the possibility of integrating the Rohingya into the local community is nipped in the bud. As the number of Rohingya refugee is gigantic, more than a million in Bangladesh and some more are living in 19 other countries and no country has shown interest in receiving them, the option to settle them to a third country seems impassable in foreseeable future. The only way out to Rohingya crisis lies in safe repatriation to Myanmar. 

As the Rohingyas also want to return to Myanmar, integration into Bangladesh, following WB's recommendations, is like denial of their fundamental & human rights. Some local experts believe that integration may lead to a new “Palestine Crisis” by jeopardizing the sovereignty of Bangladesh and endangering the geo-political stability of South Asia. 

This kind of proposal from responsible global leaders like WB will motivate Myanmar to slacken the repatriation process by increasing complexities to this multifaced dilemma. Instead of suggesting such impracticable proposal, WB could create pressure on Myanmar to comply with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 by the UN. It could offer financial incentives to Myanmar for expediting the repatriation in internationally monitored safe zones. Some international organizations are planning long-term programs for this “short-term emergency crisis” which will just linger the repatriation process. 

Bangladesh is trying its level best to ensure decent arrangements for Rohingyas with its limited financial strengths. Despite not being a signatory of 1951 refugee convention, Bangladesh complies with its conditions, i.e., not forcing any Rohingya to go back to Myanmar. 

Accepting WB’s proposal will add fuel to the fire by acting as a pull factor for other Rohingyas, around six lacs, to come to Bangladesh from restive Myanmar. Bangladesh has to bring substantial changes in its policy if it agrees to accept the framework, a complex & time-consuming process which will intensifies the misery. Safe & dignified repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar is the only sustainable solution to come to an end to their plight. Bangladesh needs more support from international communities to resolve this crisis. 

The country may expect that the world communities will consider all the relevant issues including socio-economic conditions of Bangladesh before making any recommendations to resolve the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis by bringing light of hope to put an end to their struggling present. #KhabarLive #hydnews 

(About the Author: Kazi Mohammad Jamshed, a strategic affair and foreign policy analyst, working as a lecturer at department of International Business, University of Dhaka. He can be reached at kazi.duib@gmail.com)

‍Why ‍TRS Leaders Attack Opposition With Objectionable Slurs In Public?

The Telangana Labour Minister Ch Malla Reddy, referring to the alleged cowardice of Congress president Revanth Reddy, called him a ‘eunuch’.

Slapping his thigh in typical Telugu action movie style, Telangana Labour Minister Ch Malla Reddy on Wednesday, August 25, dared Telangana Congress president Revanth Reddy to resign and recontest in the Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency. The challenge was in response to the allegations made by Revanth Reddy, the Malkajgiri MP, against the Minister during the Dalita-Girijana Deeksha held in Muduchintalapalli in Medchal-Malkajgiri district. At the meeting, Revanth accused Malla Reddy, the former MP of Malkajgiri, of being a land grabber while addressing him as a "joker" and "broker."

Reacting to this, the Minister launched into a tirade, hurling the choicest of abuses against the Congress leader. Besides using many slurs, including casteist ones, the Minister, referring to Revanth’s alleged cowardice, called him a ‘eunuch’. All this was while addressing a live press conference. Earlier this month, another TRS legislator from Malkajgiri, Mynampally Hanumanth Rao also used similar expletives while attacking BJP Telangana president Bandi Sanjay, thereby bringing down the dignity of their office and also lowering the public discourse through their vile verbal attacks.
While Malla Reddy regretted using the casteist slur ‘Pichakuntla’, which is a marginalised caste, and apologised for offending the people of the Pichakuntla community, no apology was offered to eunuchs who too are a marginalised group, living in the fringes of society.

This disturbing trend of public representatives lowering the level of discourse has real-life implications leading to conflicts, says political analyst T Lakshminarayana. “It is extremely unfortunate and saddening that rather than enhancing the level of dialogue, the public representatives who are seen as role models of society are indulging in such vicious attacks, that too publicly.”

“If an elected representative speaks in such a derogatory manner, it only emboldens their supporters to be more vicious in attacking their opponents. It is an approval. And this will inevitably lead to violence. Should a public representative create violence?” Lakshminarayana asks, condemning the actions of both the leaders.
Lakshminarayana adds, “When a public representative says something odd, it becomes a talking point in the media. And the language the representative uses gets normalised, which is dangerous. So, public representatives should exercise caution and not lose their cool in public.”

Condemning the transphobic remarks made by both Malla Reddy and Hanumanth Rao, Meera Sanghamitra, a transwoman and activist, told #KhabarLive, “This is not the first time that such transphobic comments have been made by elected representatives, regardless of party affiliations. The first thing when someone tries to politically critique someone, they say, ‘Are you wearing bangles?’ or ‘Are you a eunuch?’ Every time a politician makes such deplorable remarks, it not only reveals their patriarchal mindset but they also degrade a community that is already marginalised.”

“It is not that we have objected to these kinds of derogatory remarks in the past, but since they consider the trans community as dispensable, they don’t show any sensitivity,” Meera adds. #KhabarLive #hydnews 

'Kashmir is not Syria!' Is The Rise Of Hard-Line, ISIS Supporting Jihadists In The Valley More Myth Than Reality?

Many feel that pictures of ISIS flags in Kashmir are a clear indicator of the Islamic fundamentalists having made inroads into the Valley but police in conflicted area tell a different story. 'Kashmir is not Syria. An organisation like ISIS establishing a base in Kashmir and working the way it does in Iraq and Syria is just not possible. Let us not underestimate our grids', said a top official. The only tangible link between ISIS and Kashmir has been found among youths who were attracted towards the ideology while outside the country. Over the years, only three such cases have come to light.

INNLIVE Explains: The Qatar Crisis And How It Affects India

With four Arab nations cutting their diplomatic ties from Qatar for fostering terrorism, West Asia is headed into a major turmoil in the coming days.

Travel within the region from Doha, the capital of Qatar, is likely to be impossible in the immediate future. Qatari citizens resident in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been given two weeks to return to their home country. Bahrain has also asked Qatari diplomats to leave its territories in 48 hours, though Saudi will continue its services to Qatari pilgrims.

Why Hindutva Doesn't Like Normalcy – And Seems Indifferent To Social Strife?

By AIJAZ ASHRAF | INNLIVE

The RSS wants to reorder Indian society in accordance with its worldview. An endeavour of this magnitude has to generate social tension and conflict.

Over the last 27 months, there has scarcely been a fortnight in which we haven’t had news of conflict from one part of the country or another. It would seem normalcy is anathema to the Sangh Parivar, including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, which has consciously triggered many of these conflicts.

Brain Stormer: What Should The Prime Minister Speak On Independence Day?

By M H AHSSAN | INNLIVE

Prime Minster Narendra Modi has set a new trend by asking people’s views for his Independence Day speech. His attempt to draw closer and closer towards the people will make the Government perform better and realise the demands and problems of millions. So far 1100 suggestions have come up ranging from attack on Dalits and Muslims to simmering conflicts in Kashmir. Realising the sensitivity of caste, religion and Kashmir, he must focus on delivering his I-Day speech.

An Exclusive Interview With The 'Afghan Disciple Of The Caliphate'

By NEWSCOP | INNLIVE

Speaking exclusively with a commander of the self-declared Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Somewhere in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan: Driving over the shingle of a washed out, nearly dry riverbed, the pale grey silhouettes of craggy mountains rose on the horizon marking the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Opinion: Enough Condolences! Terrorism Requires Global Solutions

By RUMAISA KHAN | INNLIVE

This is not the world I have known throughout my life. Warriors and soldiers have always put their lives on the line during armed conflicts, and innocents have always been caught in the crossfire.

However, nowadays we are all potential targets of perverted death cults - some covertly supported by states - that think nothing of bombing or mowing down children. You would be forgiven for thinking a new, vicious species has evolved, one that resembles human beings but without human emotion.

Book Review: Do Young Girls Willingly Join The ISIS To Be Terrorists?

By ANNIE SADAF | INNLIVE

A new novel looks for answers, and find resentful teenagers willing to trust the stranger.

Why do they do it? After every shooting, hacking, suicide bombing – and we hear of one every few days in some corner of an increasingly connected world – we look dazedly at each other and wonder: Why?

The question gains urgency after recent terror attacks that were carried out by middle or upper class young professionals who attended good schools and degrees. They are not driven to despair by poverty; their families seem to have no clue about their violent plans.

No End For 'Water War' Of Telangana And Andhra Pradesh, But Can They Win The Battle?

By RADHAKRISHNA | INNLIVE

Several irrigation projects in both states are stuck over disagreements on water-sharing, even as drought-like conditions persist year after year.

Late in May, tensions erupted once again in Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema region over the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme, an inter-state barrage to supply water to Andhra, Karnataka and Telangana.

Farmers from Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool – one of four districts that form the water-starved Rayalaseema – are up in arms against those in neighbouring Mahabubnagar in Telangana, both of which are fed by the irrigation project.

Frank Opinion: When Did Civil Service Become Synonymous With Self-Service?

By NAMRATA GOSWAMI | INNLIVE

In 2008, I was in Chandel district of Manipur on field work. As I went about listening to local people's stories about their lives and aspirations, most of them kept praising this particular woman administrator, an IAS officer. She was from South India, they said, and yet she was able to blend in with local people and was very responsive to their needs. As I walked towards the office of the Block Development Officer (BDO), 

I understood what they meant. It was an office with an open door, and there were no "middle men" to stop people from meeting the officer. The people waiting outside did not have the look of being intimidated by power.

How India Can Counter Islamic State Recruitment Drive With A Major Conflict In Believers And Unbelievers?

By M H AHSSAN | INNLIVE

The calculus of Islamist terrorism is undergoing a transformation, from a state controlled strategy, through al Qaeda’s Millenarianism, to culminate in the Islamic State’s (formerly, Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham, ISIS) apocalyptic vision that actively seeks an end of world confrontation between ‘believers’ and ‘unbelievers’. Millenarian and apocalyptic Islamism accepts no limits to its violence, and has brought new levels of virulence and barbarity to contemporary conflicts. 

The Lost Tribe: The 'Sentinelese' Of Indian Ocean Islands

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INNLIVE EXCLUSIVE STORY
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By M H AHSSAN | INNLIVE

From the sky it appears to be an idyllic island with amazing beaches and a dense forest, but tourists or fishermen don’t dare to step foot on this outcrop in the Indian Ocean due to its inhabitants’ fearsome reputation.

Visitors who venture onto or too close to North Sentinel Island risk being attacked by members of a mysterious tribe who have rejected modern civilisation and prefer to have zero contact with the outside world.

Special Report: Worshiped Inside Temples, But Mistreated Outside: The Fate Of Captive Elephants In India

WEEKEND KA TADKA: I recently visited a popular south Indian Lord Ganesha temple, Kottarakara Sree Maha Ganapathy Temple. What struck me besides the scorching summer heat, was the horde of devotees thronging the sanctum sanctorum with fervour. Murmured chants and prayers lent an other worldly feel to the atmosphere. Having sought my share of the Lord’s blessings, I ventured outside to explore the premises of the temple.

Outside the main entrance stood an elephant tethered to a tree, flapping its ears serenely, munching palm leaves and bananas. It was a majestic creature, easily the largest I had ever encountered, with its long trunk and gleaming tusks. A small crowd of excited onlookers watched with awe and took pictures from all possible angles.

Book Review: 'Who Stole My India' Written By Amit Reddy

Amit Reddy was probably born in the wrong place. Even his mother thinks so when she says, ‘You should go away to America, You are nothing like Indian.’ As Reddy finds it difficult to understand and live a life that his society and surroundings expect him to, and unable to comprehend the diktat of a Hindu Indian society, he decides to fix the problem. The way he decides to do it is by travelling across the country to discover its soul, and perhaps discover his own soul that might fit within an Indian context.

As he puts it, “It’s all so frightfully confusing, but I intend to rectify this situation. The plan is ingenious, and quite simple. I’m going to explore India like few people ever have, by taking an inordinately long journey around the country; 40,750 kilometers long, to be precise… If everything goes accordingly, by the end of this journey I hope to be the complete Indian.”

Social Discrimination: How Bias Against Muslim Flat Seekers Came To Be Entrenched In Mumbai City?

In Indian cities which was a symbol of democratic and secular culture, now becoming a hub of social discriminiation. Mumbai witnessed a row of incidents, first the refusal of job being a muslim and now, denial of flat to a muslim girl. 

Public relations professional Misbah Quadri, 25, uncovered Mumbai’s worst-kept secret of two decades when she approached the National Human Rights Commission this week with a complaint that she had been forced to vacate a legitimately leased apartment because she is Muslim. It certainly isn’t the first case of its kind in the place that is usually touted as India’s most cosmopolitan metropolis.

India Need To Play Bigger Role In Ongoing 'Yemen Conflict'

Though guns have stop ped booming and bom bardment of Houthi strongholds suspended for now; the crisis in Yemen is becoming more ominous. The reasons are many.

Pakistan has decided not to send its troops to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to fight against Houthi rebels in Yemen. At the same time it has also said that it would stand shoulder to shoulder with the Saudi brothers' and not step back from its commitment to safeguard the territorial integrity of the Kingdom.

The AAP Internal Conflicts: Real Winner Is 'Manish Sisodia'

In less than a month, cracks of sizable magnitude have begun to appear in the Aam Aadmi Party, posing serious questions about the party’s ability to bridge the differences among the top leadership. 

As the war over turf rages within through well-calculated leaks in the media in the absence of party convenor Arvind Kejriwal, the real question is who is the commander from his side.

Indian Military Is In Deep Crisis Despite 'Rise In Spending'

The defence forces are critically short of arms and manpower. The defence budget of India—the world’s largest arms importer—has more than doubled over the past decade from Rs 80,500 crore to Rs 229,000 crore for the financial year 2014-15.

Yet, the defence forces are critically short of arms, and men and women at arms.

The army, navy and air force are short of officers by 17% (7,989), 17% (1,499) and 3% (357) respectively, according to latest data tabled in the Lok Sabha.

Mother Teresa And RSS: The Saint And The Controversies

While comments made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Mother Teresa continue to attract widespread criticism, we take a look at other controversies in the past on the saint. 

From the issues of abortion to her beatification and sainthood, Mother Teresa's work and life has been subjected to intense scrutiny, judgement and criticism.

While she was lauded for founding the Missionaries of Charity that ran hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, many of the criticisms against her sprouted due to the conflicts of between her religious beliefs and her role as a social worker.