NHRC to send team to Assam to look into the living conditions in refugee camps: asks State Chief Secretary on steps undertaken to improve conditions in these camps and rehabilitation of refugees
New Delhi September 25, 2007 The National Human Rights Commission will send a team to Assam to make an on the spot study of the living conditions in refugee camps in the States. The Commissions' decision came after it went through an article published in the "Hindustan Times" on the miserable conditions of refugees who had migrated from East Bengal and were living in different camps in Assam now. The Article written by Shri Harsh Mander, Hony Director of an NGO namely "Samya-Centre for Equity Studies" highlighted that the State government was indifferent to the living conditions in the camps and had been saying that they should return to their homes from where they were displaced.
The article said that these internally displaced people were living in conditions of enormous deprivation and insecurity in relief camps for many years even as many as 14 years. The displaced people, as per the write-up were mostly East Bengali Muslims and those from Jharkhand with tribal origin. An estimated 50,000 people of whom a third were children were still living in these camps. The article, further, said that these people were surviving on erratic supply of rice, given to the registered camps dwellers only for 10 days a month. They were unable to return to the place of their origin and were boycotted for seeking work and also attacked if they strayed into indigenous habitation.
The article gave full details of the deprivation suffered by these people. These displaced people had pleaded that if they return they would be attacked as outsiders.
The Commission after going through the article has asked the Chief Secretary, Assam, to report the steps the State Government had taken to improve the living conditions of these refugees and also steps undertaken for their rehabilitation within four weeks.
The article said that these internally displaced people were living in conditions of enormous deprivation and insecurity in relief camps for many years even as many as 14 years. The displaced people, as per the write-up were mostly East Bengali Muslims and those from Jharkhand with tribal origin. An estimated 50,000 people of whom a third were children were still living in these camps. The article, further, said that these people were surviving on erratic supply of rice, given to the registered camps dwellers only for 10 days a month. They were unable to return to the place of their origin and were boycotted for seeking work and also attacked if they strayed into indigenous habitation.
The article gave full details of the deprivation suffered by these people. These displaced people had pleaded that if they return they would be attacked as outsiders.
The Commission after going through the article has asked the Chief Secretary, Assam, to report the steps the State Government had taken to improve the living conditions of these refugees and also steps undertaken for their rehabilitation within four weeks.