As govt denies softening policy, Rohingyas in Delhi say 'hopes dashed'

The Rohingya community tries to build a life in hardscrabble colony as home ministry denies they would be shifted to flats

"A", "B", "C". The voice of four-year-old Nazma reading the letters scribbled on a wall fills the silence in a lane of Madanpur Khadar (Kanchankunj) where Rohingya refugees live in southeast Delhi.

“Maybe not knowing what’s happening around you helps you remain optimistic,” said Kabir, a young Rohingya leader who stays in the colony while looking at Nazma. “For those of us who know what’s been happening, difficult is an understatement” he added.

The Rohingyas sheltering in the colony went through a whirlwind of emotions amid the recent confusion over their supposed relocation to flats for economically weaker section (EWS)