NAVVNEET DUBEY
JAMMU: Despite a major crackdown to clear Rohingya settlements from Jammu, the Rohingyas lodged at the Hiranagar Holding Centre in Kathua continue to remain there, with their number steadily rising over the last five years at government expense. The holding centre was set up in March 2021 after 78 Rohingyas were picked up from different parts of Jammu city and lodged there under the Foreigners Act. Officials said the number of inmates has now gone up to 284.
The increase is largely due to births inside the centre. Sources said several women became pregnant during detention, and a few months ago, a pregnant inmate delivered a baby at Government Medical College, Kathua. The development has raised questions over the ongoing eviction exercise. While Rohingyas squatting on state and private land in areas like Channi Himmat, Sunjwan, Bhatindi and Narwal are being evicted, those inside the government-run facility continue to be maintained with public funds, with annual expenditure running into lakhs on food, lodging, medical care and security.
According to sources, the centre is located inside a secured sub-jail complex and is guarded round-the-clock, yet its very existence is being seen as contradictory. Rohingyas are officially treated as illegal immigrants and viewed as a potential security concern, but they are being housed within the security establishment itself. Superintendent of the Holding Centre, Niyaz-ul-Hasan, said no orders regarding relocation or repatriation of the inmates have been received so far.”Any decision regarding shifting or deportation of Rohingyas will be taken at a higher level. As of now, we have no information about any such plan,” he said.
Sources said the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has sought detailed data about inmates lodged at Hiranagar, including their antecedents and family profiles, as part of a larger exercise on illegal immigrants.
A retired senior police officer said the Centre should take a clear call on repatriation.”It defies logic that government machinery spends lakhs every year on people staying illegally. They remain a security challenge, whether outside or inside a holding centre. The only long-term solution is to repatriate them to their country of origin after due process,” he said.
Officials recalled that the centre has witnessed several incidents of unrest since its inception. In the initial months, inmates protested against detention, indulged in stone-pelting, allegedly fashioned sharp-edged weapons from broken utensils to attack staff, and clashed among themselves. Even now, sources said, frequent disturbances and scuffles are reported from inside the centre, requiring additional deployment. Administration officials said the drive to free encroached land in Jammu will continue, while a policy decision regarding the holding centre inmates is awaited from the Centre and the J&K Government.
Meanwhile, following the crackdown on Rohingya settlements in Narwal, Bathindi and Sunjwan areas of Jammu, the administration is facing a new challenge of tracking the displaced population. With settlements cleared, the Rohingyas have dispersed across the city and adjoining areas, making it difficult for security agencies to identify and monitor them. Officials said scattered movement has complicated verification and surveillance exercise, even as drive to vacate encroached land continues.
