"Settlement of Rohingyas in Jammu part of a larger sinister design:" Application in Supreme Court seeks NIA's trans-border probe

A Jammu based NGO, Forum for Human Rights and Social Justice has filed an application before the Supreme Court stating that an earlier plea filed to stop the Rohingya deportation must not be entertained since the settlement of the Rohingyas in Jammu was "a part of a larger design" and an attempt to destabilise the country. .This application by the NGO was filed a day before the Supreme Court is set to hear an urgent plea by a member of the Rohingya community, Mohammad Salimullah seeking directions to release and protect over 150 Rohingya refugees reportedly “detained” in Jammu and to grant them refugee cards..The application by the NGO filed through advocate Rajeev M Roy stated that settlement of illegal immigrants in Jammu "is a part of a nefarious and sinister design to change the delicate demography of the tense and internationally sensitive region of Jammu and Kashmir in order to further certain vested interests". "It is clear as daylight that the settlement is planned, instigated, conducted and executed in a sophisticated manner in order to further certain vested interest and affect security of the country," the application said. .Deportation of Rohingyas: United Nations Special Rapporteur seeks to assist Supreme Court.The NGO prayed for directions to be issued to the Central government so that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducts a trans-border investigation to uncover the modus operandi and persons behind the illegal immigration, domestic travel and settlement of illegal Rohingya immigrants from Rakhine to Jammu..The applicant organisation further stated that it was "inexplicable" how Rohingyas fleeing persecution could travel 2,000 km to be in Jammu. ."Even on a straight line distance between Rakhine and Jammu is more than 2000 kms. It is submitted that it is unfathomable that the people who claim that they have been fleeing persecution would have the means and the knowledge to travel such a large distance to a region such as Jammu which has limited employment and economic opportunities. This settlement in Jammu is apart of a larger design," the application said. .It was contended that Rohingyas who are illegal immigrants with a violent and secessionist history have been settled by vested interest in a highly volatile , demographically sensitive and national security wise precarious region of Jammu. This, the plea claimed pointed towards a larger design and an organised mechanism. .The fundamental rights of the residents of Jammu and the collective fundamental rights of a vast proportion of the population of the country which are dependent on the welfare state are at stake, it added. ."In order to protect the fundamental rights of such citizens and in order to maintain the judicious use of limited resources available for redistribution as per the socialist principles of the constitution, it is imperative that the country puts a compete full stop at such mass migration of illegal immigranrs who compete with the less fortunate persons in the country for jobs, emplyment and government assistance besides causing serious security risks, It is submitted that therefore the fundamental rights of the citizens of a developing country like ours are given the due credence before extending the same to non citizens," the applicant NGO submitted.