Neighbourhood Watch to the Rescue!
Insecurity plagues most refugee camps and the 53-family Rohingya camp in Kalindi Kunj is no exception. It has been regularly devastated by fire, and after the one in 2018, had to be relocated to a cramped, 800 sq yard plot owned by a charitable foundation. With corridors barely shoulder-width and homes made of canvas, plastic and bamboo, all highly inflammable, fire remains a constant risk.
Minara Begum, 30, lost more than most in the 2018 fire, which gutted her house, savings and grocery shop. Her husband died soon after, leaving her with four children to provide for. “I didn’t have the luxury of mourning my losses,” she says. “but when I was elected one of the three leaders of the camp in 2023, I was determined to prevent such fires from happening again.” They realised the police could help only after a crime took place. “We had to help ourselves,” she says.
With the other two community leaders, Minara now runs a neighbourhood watch scheme. Four camp residents patrol the camp every night, keeping a sharp lookout for fire and intruders, enabling the residents to sleep easy.
