Burma repatriates regret return, say promises unkept by Centre

CHENNAI: Mahamayi was 18 and recently married when she flew from the old airport in Chennai to Rangoon with her husband. Now in her eighties, she sailed back to Madras with her family in 1965 after living in Burma for 20 years.

Like a majority of the 3,000 Burmese repatriate families in Chennai, Mahamayi believes that it was the wrong decision to return to the country.

After a series of repatriation efforts taken by the governments of India and Burma between 1964 and 1970, thousands of people returned to the country, mostly on board three ships, Mohammadia, Islamia and Muzafaria.

One of the few repatriates who found a better life back in Chennai, K Gurumurthy says the voyage back to India by sea was no different from the Middle Passage, in which millions of African slaves were taken to America by ship across the Atlantic Ocean.

"It was tough sailing in the lower decks of the ship," Gurumurthy said. He decided to return to India at the age of 25, after reading news reports about the promises that the government made for repatriates.

"I remember the day I made up my mind to return. I had read a report in Dina Thanthi. in which the then finance minister T T Krishnamachari promised land and other benefits to repatriates from Burma," Gurumurthy said.

Those who left Burma - after a regime change in 1965 was followed by the enforcement of nationalistic policies by the new dispensation in Rangoon - had to abandon almost all of their possessions. Each person was allowed to take only two sovereigns of gold jewellery, 15 and some clothes.

Repatriates were offered land rights, business opportunities and loans by the Indian government. But, as political science professor Ramu Manivannan notes, the government abandoned the cause of the repatriates.

"They lived a reasonably good life in Burma. They hoped India would recognise them after repatriation but there was no justice," said Manivannan, who has worked with refugee groups.

"The government has to follow certain norms and has legal obligations to repatriates. It is about time the Centre considered these issues."

Marium Beegum, who was 12 when her family made the voyage back to India, said the repatriates lost everything. "We had our own homes and businesses in Burma," she said. "After 50 years, there is still no place for us in India."

"My mother gave birth to a boy on the journey back, but he died in a few days," she said. "It was the sign of what lay ahead of us."

Hundreds of families of repatriates in Chennai are still waiting for their land deeds from the government, said Irudhayam Mani, who works for repatriates out of an office in B V Nagar, Vyasarpadi.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/11/11/burma-repatriates-regret-return-say-promises-unkept-by-centre/