Hate messages campaign against Rohingyas in Jammu

Rightwing groups are baying for the blood of Rohingya refugees more intensely after the militant attack on Sunjwan military station on February 10, in which six soldiers, a civilian and three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were killed.

Rightwing organisations, including the ruling BJP, had pointed fingers towards Rohingya settlement near the vicinity of the camp for security breach. 

   

The issue also echoed in the state legislative assembly and Speaker Kavinder Gupta, who is a legislator from the local constituency, blamed Rohingyas for the attack.

Following this, a campaign to expel Rohingyas from Jammu has intensified again.

Messages written on walls and seeking deportation of Rohingyas have appeared at public places in Sunjwan, Narwal, Bathandi, Chawadi and even posh Gandhi Nagar.

“Quit Jammu”, “Go Back”, “Wake up Jammu”, “Don’t save Rohingya” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai” have been scrawled across walls.

During the recent budget session, the government said 6,322 foreigners besides 13,433 Burmese (Rohingya) and Tibetans are staying in Jammu and Kashmir, mainly in Jammu and Samba districts.

“As on 2008, 7,093 foreigners were staying in the state, the number increased to 12,560 in 2014 and 13,755 in 2016. Of these 5,743 people are Burmese nationals (Rohingyas), 7,690 people are Tibetans and 322 are other foreigners,” the government stated.

However, the government said no Rohingya has been found involved in militancy-related incidents but FIRs have been registered against Rohingyas for various offences including, human trafficking, flesh trade, drug smuggling and theft.

Veteran politician and chief of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party Bhim Singh asked the government how foreigners have settled in Jammu municipal limits.

The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry also threatened to launch an “identify and kill movement” if the government did not deport the refugees. This blatant threat to murder by an apex trade body was widely condemned, including by the Kashmiri resistance leadership, which further polarised by debate over the refugees.

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