Calcutta HC prevents deportation of Rohingya couple, wins hearts

The Calcutta High Court on December 24 passed an order staying the deportation of a Rohingya couple to Myanmar. The order was given ina response to a writ petition filed by the couple who have, as per their petition, already served their sentence in prison. The petitioners submitted that now that they have completed their sentence, the government is trying to deport them back to Myanmar. They also submitted that such deportation would be tantamount to a death sentence in view of their plight in Myanmar which has the declared policy of an all-out onslaught on Rohingyas.
The Court restrained the government by an order of injunction ‘from deporting the petitioners from India during pendency of the writ petition’ and also directed the government to ‘ensure that the petitioners are provided with the basic amenities, compatible with a life worthy of respect’.
The Court went a step ahead and even directed the government to allow the counsel of the petitioners to visit them from time to time.
Rohingyas are an ethnic group, majority of whom are Muslim. They have been denied citizenship in Myanmar since 1982 which has effectively rendered them stateless. They face extreme violence and persecution in Myanmar and hence have been compelled to flee to other neighbouring countries to find harbour. They are considered as the world’s most persecuted minority.
(Extracted from sabrangindia.in)