The case of arrival of some foreign citizens in the State and their settlement in Jammu, almost facilitated by the then Central and State Governments, has flared up as wild fire. Sections of civil society, legal fraternity and media have raised questions arguing that it violates the State Subject law, which the State of Jammu and Kashmir has been holding as sacrosanct. The more intriguing thing is that according to unconfirmed sources, the Rohingyas and Burmese started coming to Jammu way back in 2011 when there was the NC-Congress coalition Government in power and at the Center UPA-II ruled the roost. Looking in retrospect some strange questions can be asked. Why the then Home Minister, Chidambaram was making frequent jaunts to Srinagar and why was he staying at odd places in the city? Why was a former MP of NC making frequent, rather monthly, visits to Pakistan? Why the then Government blocked the news.
Arrival or these foreigners in Jammu has remained a closely guarded secret and never did the media report of their presence, leave aside their number, reason of arrival, time of arrival and their settlement in the districts of Jammu and Samba. In normal course of things, arrival of a single foreigner is usually taken note of in our State, and when the number of these foreign nationals runs into thousands, obviously, there has been a calculated and well-thought of plan to allow them to come to Jammu and settle down here. The Chief Minister formally disclosed the news for the first time in the Legislative Assembly during previous session. State Government has started probing the matter and the civil and police authorities are deployed to conduct investigation. This happened only when the Union Home Minister asked the State Government to submit a report on the subject.
With the passing of each day, the mystery of arrival and settlement of these foreigners, who are mostly Burmese Sunni Muslims, in Jammu and not in Srinagar has deepened and observers have begun to raise pertinent questions like how could they cross the international border without being questioned? How could they cross seven or eight states to arrive in Jammu without being detected at the check posts along the Grand Trunk Road if they came by road? The bizarre part of the story is that some of them claim to be in possession of United Nations Human Rights Council cards which they have preserved. In the first place it is extremely difficult to get the UNHRC refugee card. Secondly, no such card can be issued without the concurrence of the Government of the concerned country. Again, how did J&K Government entertain their plea to settle down in Jammu as it means violation of the State Constitution?
The simple inference that can be deduced from the facts surrounding the event is that a powerful and influential agency has been at work to motivate these Rohingyas and Burmese to head towards J&K State. They have been directed to settle down in Jammu at two sites, one is Bhatindi area which is a Muslim dominated area of Jammu and the second is close to border in Samba. Obviously, a large anti-State and anti-national network has been actively planning things and the foreigners involved are made the actors on the stage. As far as the issuance of UNHRC cards, this facility is extended the refugees/displaced persons/migrants etc. only when a member country vouches for their settlement on its soil. Which country has vouched for them, is what will solve this mystery. The country that vouched for them has tutored them to go to Jammu where they ultimately landed. If this is true, then the mystery deepens further and it reveals an international conspiracy in which many actors including the then Indian Government of the day are involved. The UNHRC has no mechanism to monitor whether these card holders actually proceeded to the same country that promised them asylum or not.
Whatever the story, the centre has deputed its team to conduct investigation and the State Government, too, has deputed civil and police teams to find out the truth about the foreign citizens. The investigating teams will establish whether they have entered the country legally or illegally, and if they came illegally then what steps are to be taken to deport them. However, if they are allowed legal immigration, then the State Government must not wait a single minute to declare that all those who came to the State from West Pakistan/Muzaffarabad in the wake of the partition of the country or the tribal attack on the State are permanent residents of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
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