Rohingya refugees: Are we paying for our hospitality?
As if a million Rohingya refugees are not enough, we have to now face the prospect of Rohingyas sneaking in through the borders from India into Bangladesh. Not in too many places has one seen a country not only accept such a large number of persecuted, internationally displaced people, but also shelter them for years on end. The second tranche of them will have been here five years come August. And their numbers inside the camps are increasing. The report on the matter, carried in this daily on May 22, reveals two very disturbing facts. One, that we are paying for our hospitality—so much so that the conditions in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar are working as a pull factor for the Rohingyas presently sheltered in India. The Rohingyas in India are suffering on two counts. Firstly, the conditions in the refugee camps locally are compelling them to seek egress out to Bangladesh, and, obviously, the security arrangement in Indian camps are not strict enough, for which the refugees manage to escape from the camps and travel, sometimes as far as from Jammu, to Kolkata, and eventually across the border. But, equally more seriously, their religious identity as Muslims makes them vulnerable in India. These are not subjective observations, but conclusions drawn from the statements of Rohingyas who have managed to cross into Bangladesh. According to The Daily Star report, it is estimated that there are about 500 or so of them in Bangladesh as of now, who chose to shift camps from India to Bangladesh. However, a report dated January 27, 2019 on Scroll.in said that "some 2,000 Rohingyas who had taken refuge in India have reportedly left for Bangladesh." What we are facing now is reverse migration compelled out of fear stemming from Jammu-based groups' threat to launch a "catch and kill" movement against the Rohingyas.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.