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‘Trace Rohingyas who attended Tablighi Jamaat, screen for Covid-19’: Govt
According to an estimate by the government, there are around 40,000 Rohingyas living in camps across several states in India while 17,500 of them are registered as refugees with the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
With close to 26,000 members and contacts of Tablighi Jamaat already under quarantine across the country, the ministry of home affairs has now found that Rohingya Muslims spread in different regions too attended its activities last month and several of them are missing.
The union ministry has asked all the state governments and chiefs of police to trace the Rohingya Muslims who attended the Tabhlighi Jamaat activities as well as their contacts on “priority”.
In a letter sent to all state chief secretaries, Director Generals of Police and Delhi Police Commissioner, reviewed by HT, the MHA stated – “It has been reported that Rohingya Muslis have attended ‘ijtemas’ (largest annual Islamic congregation organized by Tablighi Jamaat – March 13 to 15) and other religious congregations of Tablighi Jamaat and there is a possibility of their contracting Covid-19.”
The ministry informed the states that “Rohingyas residing in camps in Hyderabad, Telangana had attended Tablighi Jamaat ijtema at Mewat, Haryana and had visited Nizamuddin Markaz at New Delhi. Similarly, Rohingyas living in Shram Vihar, Shaheen Bagh, Delhi who had gone for TJ activities, have not returned to their camps”.
It further stated that presence of Rohingya Muslims after attending Tablighi Jamaat work has also been reported from Derabassi, Punjab and Jammu area.
According to an estimate by the government, there are around 40,000 Rohingyas living in camps across several states in India while 17,500 of them are registered as refugees with the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The MHA, in its notification dated April 15, asked states that “Rohingya Muslims and their contacts need to be screened for Covid-19. Accordingly, necessary measures may be taken in this regard on priority”.
A senior official who didn’t wish to be named said – “Tablighi Jamaat has already been the biggest hotspot for Covid-19 in India so far and if Rohingyas who attended it living in camps across states are also affected, then it will be a bigger problem.”
According to a reply by the MHA in Lok Sabha in June last year, “The MHA has held a number of meetings and video conferences at various levels and has impressed upon the state governments and other stakeholders to identify illegal migrants including Rohingyas, watch their movements and cancel any Indian documents such as PAN cards, aadhar cards, driving licenses, ration cards etc. fraudulently obtained by them.”
The government has officially taken a stand, even before the Supreme Court, that Rohingyas pose a security threat.
