Jammu: UNHCR team meets Rohingya Muslims amid heated debate over water and power supply, CM Abdullah says either deport them or provide amenities

Rohingyas residing on three plots of property in the Narwal neighbourhood have alleged that, despite being registered with the UNHCR, their water and electricity supplies had been shut off recently.

A two-person delegation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) met Rohingya Muslims at a slum in the Kiryani Talab area of Narwal, Jammu on Monday. Notably, the development took place in the midst of a contentious debate about whether or not to supply water and power to unlawfully settled immigrants. On 9th December, Senior Protection Officer Tomoko Fukumura and Protection Associate Ragini Trakroo Zutushi met with some locals and Rohingya Muslims.

The team’s leader would return to Delhi on the night of 11th December, according to an official, as their attempt to meet with some police officers was unsuccessful. Javed Ahmed Rana, the Jal Shakti Minister for Jammu and Kashmir, announced on 7th December that the water supply would not be cut off to the immigrant slums until the centre called for their deportation. His remarks followed claims by Rohingyas residing on three plots of property in the Narwal neighbourhood that, despite being registered with the UNHCR, their water and electricity supplies had been shut off recently.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah declared two days later that the Rohingya intruders in Jammu should not be left to perish from cold or malnutrition and that the union government should make the final decision. “It is a humanitarian issue. The central government should decide about them (Rohingyas). If they are to be sent back, do that. If you can, send them back. If you cannot send them back, we cannot starve them to death. They cannot be allowed to die of cold. The Government of India should tell us what we have to do with them. As long as they are here, we need to take care of them,” the vice-president of National Conference (NC) alleged and added that they were not brought to Jammu by them.

He mentioned, “They have been brought and settled here. If there is a change in policy at the Centre, take them back. As long as they are here, we cannot treat them like animals. They are humans and they should be treated as such.” 

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) referred to the arrival of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas in Jammu as a significant “political conspiracy” and called for a Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) investigation to determine who was responsible for their transportation and settlement in the city. On 10th December, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the former chief minister and president of the National Conference declared that the Rohingyas were brought to J&K by the Indian government and that it is the responsibility of the local administration to provide them with the necessities of life.

The party accused the National Conference government of protecting the settlers by providing them with power and water connections because they were members of a “particular community.” More than 13,700 foreigners, primarily Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals, have lived in Jammu and other districts of Jammu and Kashmir, where their numbers grew by more than 6,000 between 2008 and 2016, according to government data.

Over 270 Rohingyas, including women and children, were discovered by police during a verification sweep in Jammu city in March 2021. They were then placed in a holding center within the Kathua sub-jail. Ajay Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police, City South Jammu, announced on 25th November that 18 FIRs (First Information Report) had been filed in a significant campaign against landlords who were renting out their properties to Rohingyas and others without giving police information, based on the order of the district magistrate.

“The civil administration has also launched a drive to identify the people who facilitated electricity and water connections to the plots housing Rohingyas,” he informed. India considers Rohingyas to be “illegal immigrants” since it is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention which describes the legal duties of nations to safeguard refugees and their rights.