SUMIT SHARMA
Jammu: The issue of illegal Rohingya settlements in Jammu has come under the spotlight following protests against attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Local organizations and legal bodies have expressed concern that the settlements could impact security and law and order in the Union Territory.
Nirmal Kotwal, President of the Bar Association Jammu, along with office bearers of the J&K High Court Bar Association, highlighted reports that Rohingyas have been settling in Qasim Nagar and other areas of Jammu through illegal means. Kotwal called for immediate intervention by the UT and central governments to verify the identities of these settlers and take steps to regularize or repatriate them as per the law.
Kotwal emphasized that Jammu has traditionally been a peaceful and secure region, and illegal settlements, if unchecked, could pose security risks and disturb the social fabric of the city. He urged authorities to ensure that the law is implemented fairly, stressing that the Bar Association is apolitical and focused solely on public interest, safety, and legality.
The concerns over Rohingya settlements were echoed on Tuesday during a protest at the District Court Complex led by Amit Manhas, Incharge of the BJP Legal Cell J&K, along with Co-convener Amit Gupta and large number of participants. The protest primarily addressed the targeting of Hindus in Bangladesh but also underscored the need for vigilance regarding illegal migration and demographic changes in Jammu.
Kotwal and Manhas urged the Union Home Ministry and Jammu & Kashmir administration to take swift action to verify the presence of illegal immigrants, particularly in sensitive areas like Qasim Nagar, and ensure the security of local residents. They also called for stricter monitoring to prevent unauthorized settlements from creating potential security vulnerabilities.
Both the Bar Association and BJP Legal Cell reiterated that their concerns are non-partisan and aimed at maintaining peace, law, and order in Jammu while highlighting demographic and security issues that may have long-term implications for the region.
On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old garment factory worker, was lynched by a mob and his body set on fire over blasphemy in Baluka in Mymensingh.
According to the police, Das was first beaten up by a mob outside the factory and then hanged from a tree. The crowd left the body of the deceased by the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway and later set it on fire.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena Dogra Front also held a protest in the Rani Park area of Jammu against alleged Hindu subjugation in Bangladesh.
“We condemn the killings of Hindus in Bangladesh. They are killing Hindus there, while illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya settlers are being provided facilities in Jammu,” the outfit’s president, Ashok Gupta, said.
Several Hindu right outfits under the banners of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal demonstrated at Panja Chowk in Rajouri district against the lynching.
An effigy of Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor of the interim government in Bangladesh, was set ablaze during the protest.
