The fate of the Rohingya Muslims in the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir hangs in the balance. From Myanmar, where even tonsured monks in sacred garbs participated in their chase out of their homeland, they have moved out to several countries. The figures vary from 2 to 3 lakhs. One of the destinations where Providence has landed them is the city of temples, Jammu. Out of all the Rohingyas in India, around fifty percent live on the outskirts of Jammu, and in Samba. The number according to the government as of January 2017 is 5743. Their arrival began around 2008 and climaxed after the military crackdown on them in the native Myanmar. India is not a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees, in spite of which a number of NGOs have pressured on the government to provide a humanitarian face to the flow of refugees from outside. But some right-wing groups have risen against their presence and cried foul. And the word doing rounds is demography. That demography is going to be changed by the long-term presence and settlement of the Rohingyas, who are Muslims.
On a humanitarian level, there is no doubt that the series of events leading to the torching of their shacks is unfortunate. The putting up of billboards threatening Rohingyas of dire consequences if they do not immediately leave the place is a part of a well-understood design to create conditions for their eviction from Jammu. Emotions aside, and the threats and inflictions of violence condemned, there are double standards visible from almost all sides. When native Kashmiri Muslims call for a better treatment of Rohingyas, a right to their settlement in Jammu, what they are actually evoking is a religious solidarity. The question may then be asked, whether the similar right to settlement and livelihood will be granted to the swarm of Indians who arrive in Kashmir in summer. One can argue that the Indians in Kashmir are not refugees for they have homes outside of Kashmir. Can we have similar thoughts about them, and give them similar latitude as is aspired for the Rohingyas in Jammu? We do see a design behind the creation of colonies and camps, but conveniently choose to read innocence on the part of the Rohingyas in Jammu.
On the other hand, a good chunk of the population of Jammu is fine with the identification documents being issued to the refugees from West Pakistan. Even if these refugees begin to share jobs with them in the armed forces, there is no questioning; again displaying a conspicuous religious solidarity. There is also no problem if colonies of different hues are made in Kashmir, and homeland for Kashmiri Pandits is created, where everything from India can be allowed move freely. All of these ideas, which according to them, have nothing unfair about them and should be implemented for the greater good of the people. The tears shed when anyone from any state of India is harmed in Kashmir disappear in case of the Rohingyas. The apprehensions of demographic change in this context are just anti-national rants, which lack substance. It is demographic change when a religious stranger appears in the neighbourhood and a just plain requirement if a similar stranger appears in Kashmir. We mirror each other in our double standards.
The problem is that both Rohingyas and other people fleeing their homes for various reasons into Jammu and Kashmir, actually enter into a place which is itself a peculiar refugee from and peace and political certainty. When two refugees meet, you can only have chaotic ambiguities and contradictions in positions of the stakeholders. No one wishes to find the reason for being in such a state of vivid contradiction and hypocrisy. In spite of having certificates from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Rohingyas in Jammu will often be seen in the news in the future. They may have arrived in this state with the hope of finding co-religionists and a degree of comfort. However, they do not seem to know that they have arrived at a place, which might turn out to be more hostile to them than the native Rakhne region of Burma. While it is uncertain what will happen to them in the future, they may choose to stay despite the odds or leave for their life, what might happen is that the conversation about them may open the path to the disclosure of our Janus faces.
The writer is a columnist, author, and lecturer at the University of Kashmir, Srinagar. He can be reached at [email protected]