What does a Rohingya feel when he is told that he is an ‘illegal immigrant’, a ‘security threat’ & ‘unwanted’ in India? What was their life like before they had to run away to save themselves? What does it feel to be reduced to just a statistic? What do the Rohingya feel when they hear the news that they will be deported back to the land where their lives are in danger? In a five-part series, Raqib Hameed Naik speaks to five refugees who had to give up all they owned to attempt a start a new life. Their stories, in the first person, are an attempt to go beyond majoritarian narratives & give them a platform to express their views & opinions.
This is Part One about 27-year-old Mohammad Ismail.