A graveyard plot in Narwal area of Jammu has now become second home for over 250 Rohingyas from Myanmar.
It is not known who actually permitted them to raise their shanties on a graveyard plot.
If this is not alarming over 150 families who arrived here from Myanmar have also raised temporary sheds housing 734 Rohingyas opposite police lines in Channi Himmat area of Jammu, without facing any resistance. 48 families comprising 206 Rohingyas are also camping in Sunjwan area on the outskirts of ‘city of temples’. A military station is located in the close vicinity. At least 40 Rohingyas also opted for Nagrota in the close vicinity of 16 corps headquarters of the Indian Army.
In the last one year even the BJP-PDP alliance Government was, apparently, caught napping as Rohingya population have gradually swelled in the region raising serious security concerns. According to the latest report of the State Home department, “the total number of Rohingyas camping in the State has risen to 6523, at least 800 more than their number reported by the State Home department in January 2017”.
In January 2017 Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had informed the State Assembly that over 5700 Rohingyas are camping in the State.
Rohingyas, currently staying in Jammu are camping across 39 locations in the State, the State Home department report stated. These illegal immigrants have also managed to spread their foot prints from two to at least five districts across the State in the last one year. Apart from Jammu Rohingyas are staying in Samba, Doda, Poonch and Anantnag in Kashmir valley.
The biggest cause of concern is those illegal immigrants who have been staying here without any Refugee cards issued by the office of United Nations 0High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
According to the report, out of 6523 Rohingyas more than 400 are staying here without their refugee cards issued by the United National High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).The winter capital of the state, Jammu seems to be the first choice of Rohingyas. They are spread across 30 locations in Jammu only.
In Bhatindi area alone maximum number of 754 Rohingyas have set up their temporary homes
According to the Home department report, "6461 Rohingyas are staying in Jammu division and 62 in Kashmir division.''These Rohingyas have come from Myanmar and are presently staying at various locations in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,'' it added.
Over the state policy, the state Home Department said, ''in the context of issues relating to the Rohingyas residing in the state, a PIl titled Hunar Gupta V/s State of J&K and others, has been filed in the High Court at Jammu in regard to the issues relating to illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh in the State.