'No Fault of Ours': Fear Grips Rohingyas in Jammu As Shiv Sena IDs Migrants

Rohingyas in Jammu are living under a pall of fear in wake of an 'identification drive' by right-wing 'activists'.

Rohingyas in Jammu are living under a pall of fear in wake of an "identification" campaign by Hindu 'activists'.

(Photo: Basharat Amin)

Kiryani Talab in Jammu's Narwal area is home to over 100 Rohingya refugee households living in makeshift tents along the roadside. Small shops made of wooden planks and tin sheets line the area, where members of the community buy and sell daily-use items. On most days, the market remains bustling and attracts local customers.

This week, however, the area wore a deserted look. Only three or four men stood around, lighting cigarettes—but fear clearly visible on their faces.

Small shops, made of wooden planks and tin sheets, in Kiryani Talab wore a deserted look last week. 

(Photo: Basharat Amin)

“I've never been so afraid in all the time that I've lived here. For the last three days, I have been sleeping in the nearby jungle. I just returned today to see my family. I haven’t bathed for three days,” Mohammad Naseer (name changed), a Rohingya refugee from the Kiryani camp, told The Quint.

When asked why he had been sleeping in the jungle, Naseer replied with a pained expression.

“Our people are being detained by the police. Four persons, including a minor, have been detained... without any fault of ours.”

The detentions took place on 5 January. But tensions started simmering from 2 January when a group of right-wing "activists" suddenly appeared across several markets in Jammu city and started checking the identities of vendors selling fruits, vegetables, dry fruits, and other low-cost commodities.

Kiryani Talab in Jammu's Narwal area is home to over 100 Rohingya refugee households, living in makeshift tents along the roadside.

(Photo: Basharat Amin)

Identifying 'Outsiders'

The 2 January incident struck fear in the minds of the locals. Soon after, a video started doing the rounds of social media, in which an unidentified man was seen stopping and questioning a Rohingya refugee.

The refugee, who was a garbage collector, was ordered to stop working. He was told that he could not earn his livelihood in that neighbourhood because he was “not from here”. The video also showed the refugee being questioned for using a bicycle cart to carry out his job.

In yet another viral video, a man, claiming to be a member of the Shiv Sena, was seen telling a police officer that they are running a "Main Bharatiya, Mera Bharat Mahan" (I am Indian, and my India is great) campaign to identify “outsiders”, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, and pasting stickers on the premises of local homes and shopfronts.

On most days, the market in Kiryani Talab remains bustling and attracts local customers.

(Photo: Basharat Amin)

The man further alleged in the video that the police themselves had been seeking verification of "outsiders" residing in the area—and that the group was merely “helping” in identifying them.

The police officer, however, firmly stated that the group had no authority to carry out such actions—and that there was no failure of law and order warranting such an intervention.

The "activists" behind the campaign were eventually questioned by the police who asked them to stop the "checking"—and obtain proper permission from the authorities for the same.

Speaking to The Quint, Manish Sahni, UT President of Shiv Sena, Jammu and Kashmir, said they had launched the “Main Bharatiya, Mera Bharat Mahan” campaign "within the framework of the law".

“If we find someone suspicious, we verify their identity. We have information that under the guise of vending, Bangladeshis and Rohingyas are doing business,” Sahni claimed.

He said around 100 people had been identified during the drive, adding:

“Some individuals abandoned their carts and fled, confirming our information."

Manish Sahni, Shiv Sena

In another related development, another right-wing organisation, Yuva Rajput Sabha, held a one-day hunger strike on 5 January at the main chowk of Jammu city, under the statue of Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh. Among their demands was that the Vaishno Devi Shrine funds should be allocated exclusively for Hindus. They also demanded the eviction of Rohingya and Bangladeshi communities from the region.

Rohingyas in a Fix

As per estimates by non-profit group Development and Justice Initiative, at least 6,000 Rohingya refugees had been residing in Jammu in 2017, including in areas like Bhatindi, Narwal, Channi, and Sunjwan. Many had been living here since the 2000s. Unofficially, the number is closer to 10,000.

In the wake of these "checks", locals claim at least four persons were detained from Narwal. According to Rohingya community leaders, Salamat (41), Noorul Amin (17), Shona Ali (46), and Hamid Hussain (31) were taken into custody after an alleged scuffle broke out between the Rohingya residents and some Shiv Sena members in Kiryani Talab.

The Quint spoke to members of the Committee of Myanmar Rohingya Refugees, a voluntary community body working for the safety and ease of the refugees in the region. They said fear has gripped the settlement since those videos calling for the expulsion of Bangladeshis and Rohinyas went viral.

“It was terrifying. We couldn’t sleep that night. We are not citizens of this country, but we are properly registered with the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) and are globally recognised as refugees,” a committee member said on condition of anonymity.

Explaining why the market remained shut, another member said:

“The situation is not favourable. You can see the shutdown either as a form of protest or our helplessness. If people stop us from collecting trash or vending—our only means of livelihood—how can we open our shops?”

Community members allege that on the evening of 5 January, around 12 to 15 people, armed with sticks, vandalised their shops and assaulted residents.

“We tried to defend ourselves. Five or six of our people were injured but we could not seek proper medical treatment because we were afraid. We feared that if we went to the hospital, we would be arrested."

Rohingya refugee

The community claimed that despite submitting a written complaint at the Narwal police station about threats, harassment, and assault, no action was taken against the attackers.

“Instead, four of our people were detained in Hiranagar jail," he said. They were only released after two days of detention.

"The miscreants vandalised our shops, beat our people, and then went to the media claiming that they were attacked by Rohingyas. Everyone believed them because they had support. Who will listen to us?” another member said.

The Quint has reached out to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jammu, for a comment. Their response will be updated as and when they revert.

The refugees, meanwhile, said they have been living in the area since 2015 without any major conflict. “Ten years have passed, and we have never fought with anyone. If we are not allowed to earn our livelihood, how can we survive?” a resident asked.

'Ultimatum' Issued

Mohammad Jibran (name changed), 26, who had studied till Class 12, told The Quint, "Shiv Sena leaders had issued an ultimatum, warning that if the government failed to expel Rohingyas from Jammu by 8 January, they would take matters into their own hands."

“This created panic among us,” he said.

“They have a problem with our Muslim identity. But I want to make it clear—we came from Myanmar, and there are also Hindu refugees from Myanmar living in our settlements. We have nothing to do with Bangladeshis.”

Mohammad Jibran

He further alleged that the community was being targeted as they were the "most vulnerable".

Jibran said he had been reading the Constitution of India, and under Article 21, they have the right to life and dignity. "This right is not limited to citizens alone but also applies to non-citizens. Then why are these laws not implemented on the ground?” he asked.

The community members feel that if the Indian government did not want them there, it should say so clearly, instead of being subjected to such "public harassment".

Days after the detentions, only a few male members of the community were visible in the settlement. Most of those present were women, children and the elderly. Several houses remained locked.

Days after the detentions, only a few male members of the community were visible in the settlement.

(Photo: Basharat Amin)

A community member guiding visitors through the settlement explained:

“Many of our households are vacant. They left everything behind and moved to safer places out of fear. The incident has deeply frightened them".

'State-Inspired Vigilantism'

Shiv Sena's Sahni said they would continue the process. “The police asked us to inform them in advance, and we have written to both the SSP and the Deputy Commissioner of Jammu,” he said.

He claimed that the campaign has received public support.

“We have been on the streets for the last 10 years, but the authorities have done nothing. That is why we took this step. We did not harm anyone. If we find any outsider, it is our duty to inform the police.”

Referring to the 5 January incident, Sahni alleged, “We faced hooliganism from Rohingyas. They attacked our men. How dare they do that?”

He further said, “It is everyone’s right to inform the police. We are implementing the statements of our Home Minister, who has said that every infiltrator will be expelled from the country. We are only easing his work by carrying out such activities.”

Sheikh Shakeel, a Jammu High Court lawyer and social activist, told The Quint that the issue reflects a broader atmosphere of communal polarisation.

“The entire country is being engulfed by Hindu-Muslim hatred, not just Rohingyas in Jammu. In other states, Kashmiri shawl makers are being harassed. This kind of politics of hate is growing day by day."

“As a lawyer, I can say there is no space for such actions in the Constitution of India. We must respect the rule of law,” he added.

(Basharat Amin is an independent journalist covering news and politics from Jammu and Kashmir.)