SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has informed the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC) that 6,737 Rohingyas and 46 Bangladeshi nationals are residing across 10 districts of the Jammu region, while 919 Rohingyas and 458 Bangladeshis have been identified across districts of the Kashmir Valley.
The data was presented to four members of the HLCDC during their first field visit to Jammu on 10 August to study demographic changes in border and adjoining areas, The Tribune reported.
According to the government data cited in the report, 101 cases involving 179 men and 21 women have been registered against Rohingyas in Jammu. In the Kashmir Valley, 16 cases involving 41 women and four men have been registered.
Officials told the committee that although the number of Rohingya settlements has increased only marginally over the past two years, their presence in border areas remains a security concern. Security officials have raised allegations of the involvement of some Rohingyas in organised crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
The Jammu districts where Rohingya settlements have been identified include Doda, Jammu, Kathua, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Samba, Udhampur and Ramban.
In the Valley, the districts identified in the government data include Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara.
“There was a detailed discussion on issues related to illegal immigration in border districts and the need to strengthen monitoring and surveillance. The committee also met civil society groups that work closely with people living in these camps,” a source was quoted as saying.
A senior police officer cited by The Tribune pointed to what he described as a contrast between the political discourse surrounding the settlement of Rohingyas and their actual geographical distribution. Despite Rohingyas being predominantly Muslim, he said, an overwhelming majority of those settled in Jammu and Kashmir are located in the Jammu region rather than the Valley.
According to the officer, many Rohingyas who arrived in India from Myanmar initially travelled to Hyderabad, while a significant number subsequently moved to Jammu and settled there, particularly during 2012 and 2017.
Officials said the presence of Rohingya settlements in Jammu is a particular concern because of the region’s proximity to the international border and the security implications associated with it.
The report also cited allegations by officials that some Rohingya women have been brought from Jammu to the Kashmir Valley by Kashmiri men and married through informal arrangements. Investigations, according to the sources, have uncovered cases in which women allegedly faced coercion and sexual exploitation.
“Several such cases of human trafficking have come to light in recent years,” a source was quoted as saying, while also claiming that the involvement of some Rohingyas in drug-related cases was a growing concern.
The Ministry of Home Affairs constituted the HLCDC on 26 May to study demographic changes arising from illegal immigration and other factors and recommend measures to address them.
The committee has been tasked with submitting its report within one year. Its mandate also includes recommending an organised and permanent operational system for the legal and time-bound detention or deportation of immigrants residing in India.
The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group from Myanmar’s Rakhine province. Large numbers arrived in India after fleeing sectarian violence and military crackdowns, particularly in 2012 and 2017.
