You must have heard about refugees, but here, we will talk about another group of people, internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Who Are IDPs?
This group has been defined as “People who may have been forced to flee their homes for the same reasons as refugees but they have not crossed an international border.” Unlike refugees, IDPs have not crossed international borders in search of protection. They are displaced from their homes but are still within the jurisdiction of their government, this means that it is still their national government that is responsible for their protection.
Where can they be found? Near your house, near your colony. They sleep on the footpath, near traffic lights, and their children are mostly never able to attend schools.
What do they do? Mostly, they might have to resort to begging.
What are some issues they face? They even don’t access to basic things like water, shelter, food, health facility, education, and whatever more you can think of.
They are not covered under the Refugee Convention and they are not a part of the voting population—so politicians do not bother to recognise them.
Why I am writing about this?
I am teaching in a slum in Jaipur under an initiative by the name of Suraksha for about a year now with my friends. The families who we are teaching still don’t have lights in their house, some of them don’t even have a house. They live in a jhuggi (a small hut with plastic cover), they don’t have access to water (not even for drinking), they don’t hope for education for their child.
Even after approaching concerned government authorities we are unable to provide them water which is a shame in the name of human rights.
They want your help your hand so that they can drink water properly. My appeal is for you to please go to places near your house and see the situation, and help them.