New Delhi: After Delhi High Court's concern over a large gathering of Afghan nationals outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) in South Delhi's Vasant Vihar area saying it could act as a super spreader of coronavirus, the protesters said here that they are following all the Covid-19 protocols and will leave the protest site when their demands are met.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Anjam Ahmed Khan, a member of the Afghan Solidarity Committee, said, "We got to know about Delhi High Court's order which said that we are not following Covid-19 protocols but it is not right. We all obey the guidelines of the Indian government. We all wear masks, whether it's a woman or small children."
Notably, the high court has issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Delhi government, Delhi Police, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Jal Board on a petition by Vasant Vihar Welfare Association which stated that the foreign nationals (refugees/asylum seekers) have gathered outside the office of the UNHCR and residents living nearby are facing difficulties due to this.
The high court asked to take instructions on how the issue can be resolved and listed the matter for the hearing on September 3. "The problem we face is bigger than a pandemic, after the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, our problems have now aggravated. We aren't able to pay the rents here in India, our children aren't getting tuitions as we aren't able to pay their fees," he added.
Khan said that for the sake of small children and women who are protesting here day and night, UNHCR should show mercy and fulfil their demands and reopen the closed cases and provide us with the refugee cards.
Bushra, a 12-year-old girl, said their protest outside UNHCR entered the 12th day on Thursday but they haven't got any response from the UNHCR. "We even sit during the rains but still they haven't answered anything," she rued.
"We only demand the refugee card or they should send us to some other country so that we can make our future. I have been living here in India for the past 5 years but nothing has happened so it's better to leave the country and settle somewhere else," she added.
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