This handbook marks a key intervention in refugee studies in India—home to diverse groups of refugees, including an entire government in exile. It unravels the various socio-economic, political, and cultural dimensions of refugee issues in India. The volume examines the various legal, political, and policy frameworks for accommodating refugees or asylum seekers in India, including the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Registry of Citizens. It evaluates the lack of uniformity in the Indian legal and political framework to deal with its refugee population and analyzes the grounds of inclusion or exclusion for different groups. Drawing from the experiences of Jewish, Tibetan, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Afghan, and Rohingya refugees in India, it analyzes debates around marginalization, citizenship, and refugee rights. It also explores the spatial and gendered dimensions of forced migration and the cultural and social lives of displaced communities, including their quest for decent work, education, and health. The volume will be an indispensable reference for scholars, lawyers, researchers, and students of refugee studies, migration and diaspora studies, public policy, social policy and development studies.
India, Citizenship, and Refugee Crisis: Political History of Hatred and Sorrow examines the effects of the Partition of India in 1947. The partition as suggested by the British to satisfy the Muslims, who formed the bulk of the British Army during the 2nd world war, could not stop the communal riots but instead led to their intensification. The effects were tremendous flows of refugees, Muslims from India to Pakistan and a few non-Muslims from Pakistan to India. That refugee problem was solved in Pakistan as the flow was limited due to the protection of the Muslims granted by India, but it is still a problem in India due to inability of the Indian government to provide enough security and facility to the refugees. This book analyzes the diverse issues surrounding this political history from economic and social points of view.
Offering a global history of India's refugee regime, Making Refugees in India explores how one of the first postcolonial states during the mid-twentieth century wave of decolonisation rewrote global practices surrounding refugees - signified by India's refusal to sign the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. In broadening the scope of this decision well beyond the Partition of India, starting with the so called 'Wilsonian moment' and extending to the 1970s, the refugee is placed within the postcolonial effort to address the inequalities of the subject-citizenship of the British empire through the fullest realisation of self-determination. India's 'strategically ambiguous' approach to refugees is thus far from ad hoc, revealing a startling consistency when viewed in conversation of postcolonial state building and anti-imperial worldmaking to address inequity across the former colonies. The anti-colonial cry for self-determination as the source of all rights, it is revealed in this work, was in tension with the universal human rights that focused on the individual, and the figure of the refugee felt this irreconcilable difference most intensely. To elucidate this, this work explores contrasts in Indians' and Europeans' rights in the British empire and in World War Two, refugee rehabilitation during Partition, the arrival of the Tibetan refugees, and the East Pakistani refugee crisis. Ria Kapoor finds that the refugee was constitutive of postcolonial Indian citizenship, and that assistance permitted to refugees - a share of the rights guaranteed by self-determination - depended on their potential to threaten or support national sovereignty that allowed Indian experiences to be included in the shaping of universal principles.
This innovative study explores the interface between nation-building and refugee rehabilitation in post-partition India. Relying on archival records and oral histories, Uditi Sen analyses official policy towards Hindu refugees from eastern Pakistan to reveal a pan-Indian governmentality of rehabilitation. This governmentality emerged in the Andaman Islands, where Bengali refugees were recast as pioneering settlers. Not all refugees, however, were willing or able to live up to this top-down vision of productive citizenship. Their reminiscences reveal divergent negotiations of rehabilitation 'from below'. Educated refugees from dominant castes mobilised their social and cultural capital to build urban 'squatters' colonies', while poor Dalit refugees had to perform the role of agricultural pioneers to access aid. Policies of rehabilitation marginalised single and widowed women by treating them as 'permanent liabilities'. These rich case studies dramatically expand our understanding of popular politics and everyday citizenship in post-partition India.
Embark on a thought-provoking exploration of the refugee crisis with V. Suryanarayan's compelling work, "Refugee Dilemma." Delve into the complexities of displacement, identity, and human rights as Suryanarayan navigates the tumultuous landscape of forced migration. Join Suryanarayan as he unravels the plot points of global migration patterns, shedding light on the geopolitical forces and socio-economic factors driving millions to flee their homes in search of safety and opportunity. Through poignant narratives and firsthand accounts, he illuminates the human stories behind the statistics, offering a nuanced perspective on the refugee experience. Identify the recurring themes and motifs that permeate Suryanarayan's narrative, from the struggle for survival and dignity to the resilience and courage of those displaced by conflict and persecution. Explore how these themes resonate with contemporary debates surrounding immigration and asylum, challenging readers to confront their own beliefs and biases. Through character analysis, gain insight into the diverse individuals and communities affected by the refugee crisis. From courageous activists and humanitarian workers to vulnerable families and children, Suryanarayan brings to life the human faces behind the headlines, fostering empathy and understanding among readers. Experience the overall tone and mood of Suryanarayan's work, characterized by a blend of empathy and urgency. His prose is both compassionate and incisive, compelling readers to confront the harsh realities of displacement while inspiring hope for a more compassionate and just world. Explore the critical reception of "Refugee Dilemma," praised by scholars and activists for its depth of research and heartfelt storytelling. Discover how Suryanarayan's insights have contributed to global discourse on refugee rights and humanitarian intervention, shaping policy debates and public perceptions. Consider the audience for Suryanarayan's work, ranging from policymakers and academics to activists and concerned citizens. Whether you're a seasoned advocate for refugee rights or simply a curious reader eager to learn more about this pressing issue, "Refugee Dilemma" offers valuable insights and perspectives for all. Compare and contrast Suryanarayan's work with other scholarly works and journalistic accounts of the refugee crisis, highlighting its unique contributions to our understanding of forced migration and displacement. Explore how "Refugee Dilemma" challenges prevailing narratives and offers alternative frameworks for addressing this complex humanitarian challenge. Personal reflection: As a reader, I was deeply moved by Suryanarayan's compassionate portrayal of the refugee experience. His ability to humanize complex geopolitical issues and foster empathy for those most vulnerable in our global community is both inspiring and humbling. "Refugee Dilemma" challenged me to reexamine my own assumptions and compelled me to take action in support of refugee rights and dignity. In conclusion, "Refugee Dilemma" is more than just a scholarly analysis—it's a call to action for readers to confront the moral and ethical challenges of our time. Whether you're an academic, an activist, or simply a concerned citizen, Suryanarayan's work is sure to provoke thought and inspire meaningful change. Don't miss your chance to explore the complex realities of the refugee crisis with V. Suryanarayan. Dive into this timely and important work today and join the global conversation on refugee rights and humanitarianism.
This book provides an in-depth investigation of citizenship and nationalism in connection with the Rohingya community. It analyses the processes of production of statelessness in South Asia in general, and with regard to the Rohingyas in particular. Following the persecution of the Rohingya community in Myanmar (Burma) by the military and the Buddhist militia, a host of texts, mostly descriptive, have examined the historical, political and cultural roots of the genocidal massacre and the flight of its victims to South Asia and South-East Asian countries. The UNHCR reports describe the plight of Rohingyas during and after their journey, while other works focus on the political-economic roots of this ethnic conflict and its consequences for the Rohingyas. To date, very few theoretical insights have been provided on the Rohingya issue. This book seeks to fill that gap, and explores a dialogue between the state and its citizens and non-citizens that results in the production of statelessness. In theoretical terms, the book addresses the construction of citizens and non-citizens on the part of the state, and the process of symbolic othering, achieved through various state practices couched in terms of nationalism. Extensive case studies from India, Myanmar and Bangladesh provide the foundation for a robust theoretical argument. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to students, academics and researchers with a focus on political economy in South Asia in general and/or refugee studies in particular.
This study attempts to examine in detail the question of the acquisition of Indian citizenship under the various provisions of the Indian citizenship laws by those refugees who have decided to adopt India as their permanent home. It gives some idea about the magnitude of the refugee problem in India, legal provisions regulating the granting of Indian citizenship and the methodology that could be adopted to help refugees willing to acquire Indian citizenship. The study is divided into five chapters. The first chapter examines the scope and magnitude of the refugee problem in India. Information is given on the categories of migrants who have entered India as a result of the political disturbances/changes of rulers in their own countries, and the manner in which these people entered India. The second chapter analyses India's entry and stay facilities. The third chapter focuses on legal provisions and policy relating to the granting of Indian citizenship by naturalization. This chapter examines the specific Indian laws relating to citizenship and explains the different qualifications and requirements. The fourth chapter contains an assessment of the number of refugees who may qualify for naturalization and the procedures for filing applications. The final chapter briefly describes the position of the refugee in India in terms of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The study also contains various appendices relating to acquiring citizenship in India.
"This book looks at the mass migration of refugees into India during the Sri Lankan civil war, the lives of the displaced people in refugee camps and the politics around the issue. It analyses the citizenship policies in India and the social, economic, psychological, political and legal implications of the laws on the lives of Tamil refugees. The book examines the protracted refugee situations in other parts of the globe to build a comparative case study of the Sri Lankan refugees. It delves into the stories and lives of these people in their home country before the war, the crisis and trauma of war, and the experience of living in refugee camps. The volume looks at the role played by the state government of Tamil Nadu, the Indian government and NGOs towards the protection of these refugees and state of facilities for health, safety, education, among others in the camps. It also discusses the possibility of integration and solutions like voluntary repatriation or the granting of citizenship for the people living in these camps. This book will be a useful resource for scholars and researchers of refugee and border studies, human rights, political studies, international relations, political sociology, peace and conflict studies, war and strategic studies, and South Asian studies"--
Nation-states often shape the boundaries of historical enquiry, and thus silence the very histories that have sutured nations to territorial states. "India" and "Pakistan" were drawn onto maps in the midst of Partition's genocidal violence and one of the largest displacements of people in the twentieth century. Yet this historical specificity of decolonization on the very making of a nationalized cartography of modern South Asia has largely gone unexamined. In this remarkable study based on more than two years of ethnographic and archival research, Vazira Fazila-Yacoobali Zamindar argues that the combined interventions of the two postcolonial states were enormously important in shaping these massive displacements. She examines the long, contentious, and ambivalent process of drawing political boundaries and making distinct nation-states in the midst of this historic chaos. Zamindar crosses political and conceptual boundaries to bring together oral histories with north Indian Muslim families divided between the two cities of Delhi and Karachi with extensive archival research in previously unexamined Urdu newspapers and government records of India and Pakistan. She juxtaposes the experiences of ordinary people against the bureaucratic interventions of both postcolonial states to manage and control refugees and administer refugee property. As a result, she reveals the surprising history of the making of the western Indo-Pak border, one of the most highly surveillanced in the world, which came to be instituted in response to this refugee crisis, in order to construct national difference where it was the most blurred. In particular, Zamindar examines the "Muslim question" at the heart of Partition. From the margins and silences of national histories, she draws out the resistance, bewilderment, and marginalization of north Indian Muslims as they came to be pushed out and divided by both emergent nation-states. It is here that Zamindar asks us to stretch our understanding of "Partition violence" to include this long, and in some sense ongoing, bureaucratic violence of postcolonial nationhood, and to place Partition at the heart of a twentieth century of border-making and nation-state formation.
A Finalist for the 2019 Kirkus Prize in Nonfiction "Nayeri combines her own experience with those of refugees she meets as an adult, telling their stories with tenderness and reverence.” —The New York Times Book Review "Nayeri weaves her empowering personal story with those of the ‘feared swarms’ . . . Her family’s escape from Isfahan to Oklahoma, which involved waiting in Dubai and Italy, is wildly fascinating . . . Using energetic prose, Nayeri is an excellent conduit for these heart–rending stories, eschewing judgment and employing care in threading the stories in with her own . . . This is a memoir laced with stimulus and plenty of heart at a time when the latter has grown elusive.” —Star–Tribune (Minneapolis) Aged eight, Dina Nayeri fled Iran along with her mother and brother and lived in the crumbling shell of an Italian hotel–turned–refugee camp. Eventually she was granted asylum in America. She settled in Oklahoma, then made her way to Princeton University. In this book, Nayeri weaves together her own vivid story with the stories of other refugees and asylum seekers in recent years, bringing us inside their daily lives and taking us through the different stages of their journeys, from escape to asylum to resettlement. In these pages, a couple fall in love over the phone, and women gather to prepare the noodles that remind them of home. A closeted queer man tries to make his case truthfully as he seeks asylum, and a translator attempts to help new arrivals present their stories to officials. Nayeri confronts notions like “the swarm,” and, on the other hand, “good” immigrants. She calls attention to the harmful way in which Western governments privilege certain dangers over others. With surprising and provocative questions, The Ungrateful Refugee challenges us to rethink how we talk about the refugee crisis. “A writer who confronts issues that are key to the refugee experience.” —Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sympathizer and The Refugees
