The Rohingya community is one of the most persecuted and marginalized groups globally, yet they are often neglected or portrayed negatively, leaving them in a state of helplessness.
Recently, senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and parliamentarian Sanjay Singh reacted sharply to Bharatiya Janata Party President J.P. Nadda’s comments in parliament, implying that names removed from voter lists were those of Rohingyas. Singh questioned how anyone could label hardworking people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who have contributed to Delhi for the past 40 years, as Rohingyas, expressing outrage: “How dare you call them Rohingyas?”
Singh’s statement raises a troubling question—why is being called a Rohingya perceived as an offense or insult? The tone suggests that being associated with the Rohingya community is inherently degrading or criminal, which perpetuates harmful stereotypes and stigmatizes an already oppressed group.
The term “Rohingya” has become an abused and stigmatized label. Even AAP leader and current Delhi Chief Minister Atishi recently claimed that the Union government is settling Rohingyas in Delhi. This kind of rhetoric raises the question—how low will the political discourse of AAP, and in general, stoop? The Rohingyas are among the most oppressed communities globally. Instead of offering support, they are repeatedly subjected to negative portrayals. How far will this narrative go?
AAP has repeatedly demonstrated an anti-Muslim stance. Be it the campaign against Tablighi Muslims during the COVID-19 outbreak, where Muslims were scapegoated and unfairly blamed for spreading the virus — for which only Muslims know what they have been through and what all has been said to them, with AAP fueling it — or the swift arrest of Sharjeel Imam, as stated by Kejriwal, if the police were in his power, and abandoning Tahir Hussain while standing for Sisodia and Jain, and many more such cases.
Even during campaigning in Gujarat, AAP’s Manish Sisodia dismissed questions about Bilkis Bano, stating, “We only talk about education and employment.” If education is prioritized over taking a moral stand, what kind of education are you truly promoting? It appears that your focus is solely on development, with social justice conveniently ignored. What will Muslims do with development, schools, and hospitals when they won’t even be there to study or seek healthcare because they will be killed, humiliated, bulldozed, or thrown behind bars? What will Muslims do with development then?
Last month, Mumbai Police justified in the Bombay High Court the hate speeches made by Nitesh Rane, T. Raja, and other Hindu nationalist politicians who continuously made remarks against Muslims in India, labeling them as anti-India, land grabbers (land jihad), love traps (love jihad), Rohingyas, and Bangladeshis repeatedly.
In an affidavit, the police stated that remarks such as ‘Rohingyas,’ ‘Bangladeshis,’ and ‘Jihadis’ were made by BJP leaders like Nitesh Rane, T. Raja, and Geeta Jain did not warrant the invocation of Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with outraging religious feelings. However, the police, in this affidavit, justified the remarks made by these BJP leaders at four different places — Ghatkopar, Mankhurd, Malwani in Mumbai, and Kashimira in Mira-Bhayander — during January this year, claiming that these terms were not directed at other Muslim citizens living in India.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) called on India to end the arbitrary detention of Rohingyas who fled Myanmar to India and refrain from forcible deportation and return to Myanmar, where they would risk being subjected to serious human rights violations.
In a statement, the body also expressed alarm over reports of widespread racist hate speech and harmful stereotypes against Rohingya Muslims, including by politicians and public figures. It urged the state party to firmly condemn such heinous acts and ensure they are investigated and adequately punished, in compliance with its international obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
But if you look closely, this pattern is not just anti-Rohingya but rather anti-Muslim. Many people in India lack proper documentation, and many have had their names removed from voter lists, but that does not mean they are not Indian. However, if someone is Muslim, they are often labeled as a Rohingya or Bangladeshi, even though they are Indian.
Who will define who is an Indian? I hold a passport, voter ID, and all necessary documents, but just because I am Muslim, I am repeatedly called a Rohingya, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani. So how can this be defined?
The term ‘Rohingya’ has become weaponized, with politicians using it to demean Muslims, whether from BJP or AAP.
Referring to a 2022 post by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri about EWS flats for Rohingya migrants, Atishi said, “On one side are BJP leaders who bring Rohingya to Delhi after making them cross the border from Bangladesh and give them EWS flats and facilities meant for Delhiites. On the other hand, there is the Aam Aadmi Party government of Delhi, which is taking every possible step to ensure that the Rohingya do not get the rights of Delhiites.”
“Today, the Education Department of the Delhi Government has passed a strict order that no Rohingya should be given admission in the government schools of Delhi. We will not let the rights of the people of Delhi be taken away,” she added.
Former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal echoed this, stating, “We will not allow BJP to settle Rohingya in Delhi under any circumstances. We will not allow them to give the flats, employment, and facilities of the poor of Delhi to the Rohingya under any circumstance.”
AAP’s Delhi CM, commenting on “not allowing education to Rohingya children” reflects an ill-informed stance. Despite being a two-time master’s graduate from Oxford on fully funded scholarships like Chevening and Rhodes, her remarks against one of the most marginalized communities demand serious introspection and reevaluation. What value of education did she receive, and what is she promoting by denying education to the children of one of the most marginalized, stateless communities in the world?
Engaging in the politics of anti-Rohingya or immigrant phobia is what BJP does, but even AAP resorts to it, especially through someone like Atishi, who is touted as educated and progressive and a two-time graduate from Oxford. This shows the dangerous path Indians and educated Indians are treading — a growing hatred toward Rohingya, Bangladeshis, and Muslims in general. This calls for serious self-introspection on her part and for India as a whole. Now, what can I say? How low will she stoop?
And now that the Rohingyas are here, show compassion—protect and take care of them; they have come here after enduring unimaginable suffering and persecution. But instead of offering empathy, you’re also calling Indian Muslims Rohingya. What has happened to you, to Indians in general? Has your heart turned cold to the suffering of human beings who only seek a chance to live with dignity and peace? Where is your shared humanity? Where is your belief in the idea that the world is one family?
And last but not least, where is the Indian ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family)? The ancient Indian tradition of offering shelter from persecution is glorified when talking about the past (though India, as a nation, was not formed until 1947). However, when it comes to today’s most marginalized community, they refuse to help them. Instead, they malign them, using the term ‘Rohingya’ in a derogatory way to demean Muslims in general. The government could have instead included them as citizens through the CAA, as the so-called official purpose of the CAA was to offer citizenship to oppressed minorities. The least we can do is offer them refuge, dignity, and the chance to rebuild their lives in a safe environment. The international community, and India, must act now to end the suffering of the Rohingya people.
Abu Saif Shaikh is a postgraduate student at TISS, Mumbai.
