Union Minister of State Kiren Rijiju had already clarified the centre’s stand on the Rohingya issue. The central government had been adamant on the fact that Rohingyas would not be allowed to settle in India and had instructed various state governments to maintain proper and detailed records of the illegal Rohingya immigrants who were living in their state. States like Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Assam along with other North-eastern states had the greatest number of illegal immigrants settling on their soil but a new state has now come up as the favorite venue for the millions of Rohingyas and the state is Kerala. Post the devastating floods in Kerala, rehabilitation work is in full swing and as per reports from the Indian Railways huge number of Rohingya immigrants are trying to get into the state.
Indian Railways didn’t miss the pattern in the large scale migration. After observing and analysing the pattern, Indian Railways swung into action. A letter from the Principal Chief Security Commissioner, Railway Protection Force which is directed to the various headquarters clearly mentions that a mass immigration of the illegal Rohingya immigrants is underway from north-eastern states to Kerala. The letter also mentions train numbers along with the names of the train such as 12508 SCL-TVC Express, 22825 SHM-MAS Express amongst 14 others using which the largest known influx of illegal immigrants into Kerala is taking place. The Kerala government is also being asked to take note of the fact that the immigrants are coming along with their families in the state. The letter is a warning to the administration and to the RPF personnel to catch any such immigrants and to hand them over to the Police forces of the state.
The Rohingya crisis is a burning issue which has already taken a toll in many states across the country. The ethnic community has many radicalised elements which are a threat to civilian and national security. There have been many reports by Amnesty International and other organisations which speak of Rohingyas carrying out ethnic cleansing of Hindus and Buddhists in Rakhine province of Myanmar. Their mass influx into India will cause severe problems not just for the inhabitants’ livelihood but will also increase the burden on the respective state governments.
Jammu and Kashmir is an example of how the unchecked and unmonitored influx of illegal Rohingyas had created a change in demography of the region and had led to tense situations in Jammu region. The Rohingyas were also welcomed by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to settle in the state so as to increase her voter base and for her long-term goal of minority appeasement. With the central government getting stricter, their hands are tied and so the Rohingyas are looking to settle in Communist ruled Kerala where without doubt they will be used as tools and vote banks in the upcoming days. Kerala government needs to check the influx of Rohingyas into the state and stop them from mixing with the local population in the state. Rohingyas are a burden to India which is already facing a crunch of resources to meet the demands of its 1 billion plus population. Their radicalisation will pose further threats to the indigenous population of whichever states they are made to settle in and that is why quick action by the Kerala government is necessary.
