Former Orissa High Court Chief Justice S Muralidhar on Friday said India has always been a country of migrants and immigrants adding that the word Bangladeshi for every migrant is a dangerous word.

“The word Bangladeshi for every migrant is a dangerous word from the point of view of the State. Always, the arguments of national security and integrity is put forth and with even greater vehemence in cases of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers,” Muralidhar said.

“India has always been a country of migrants and immigrants. It is only the political, legal borders that have termed them Bangladeshis, Rohingyas, or illegal migrants,” he added.

He was delivering the keynote address on the topic “Opening Doors to Justice: Prevention of Violence Against Migrant Women” organised by the Migrant & Asylum Project (MAP).

Recounting the two verdicts on Rohingyas, Muralidhar said while an interim order from the Supreme Court denied relief to some Rohingyas in Jammu and Kashmir, a “brilliant judgment” from the Manipur High Court allowed Rohingyas to obtain United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) certificates. On the Manipur High Court’s order, he said, “That was the welcome approach and one hopes that that would be the tenor of the judiciary.”

“The Bar in India does not prepare lawyers for human rights work. We need to develop that kind of bar. That orientation is going to help a lot,” he stated.

The former judge also mentioned the ‘misconception’ held by many illegal migrants and asylum seekers that they lack legal rights. He called for a shift in this belief and stressed the importance of ensuring that migrants are well-informed about their rights.