Rohingyas in Chennai pick rags for livelihood

Chennai: Miles away from arson, violence and bloodshed in their hometown in Myanmar, the group of 94 Muslim Rohingya refugees who fled to south India for shelter, now call peaceful Chennai their “home”. Not just that, five years in the city, hands picking weeds from their farms at native Burma are now picking rags for their livelihood.

Early at 7.30 am, about 22 men from the group set out to the vicinities of Kelambakkam to collect scrap and earn an average of Rs 250-300 per person, a day.

“When we stepped in Chennai in 2012, the kids were half dead as they had been living under the constant pressure of being shot or harsh hands molesting them. Though Chennai provided respite from violence, we could afford a plate of the meal for 94, once in a week,” explained J. Abdul, a refugee.

He further added that infants would be malnourished, as mothers did not have breast milk due to starvation. While roaming the streets of Manali and Puthupakkam, respected farmers back in their homeland turned rag pickers.

Now, each family has a traditional kitchen and they say the meals they cook on the twigs and fire is what they earned as against the dependence on NGOs and volunteers earlier.

One of the refugees said recognition of their clan in India would mean better employment opportunities and quality of life. “Though the conditions we are living in are poor and the locals harass us almost every day to leave the place as our appearance is like “hooligans” and there is a difference in culture, recognition in the country would mean we can get a driving license or a piece of land and
that altogether can provide a new life,” he said.