Over 5,000 Rohingya Muslims settled in Jammu: Sayeed

October 10, 2015

Srinagar: Over 5,000 Rohingya refugees are living in in many settlement colonies in Jammu and Kashmir's winter capital Jammu after fleeing persecution in Myanmar, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said on Friday. 

"There are about 1,219 Rohingya (Burmese) families comprising 5,107 members who are staying in Jammu," he said. 

Often described as "world's most persecuted minority", Rohingyas are unable to re-obtain citizenship of Myanmar after being stripped of their citizenship in 1982 in the Southeast Asian country. 

Nearly all of the refugees live in the Jammu district alone, most of them in Narwal area of the city. 

"Out of the total Rohingya refugees living in Jammu province, 4,912 members are having United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards and 186 members are without the cards," said Sayeed, who also holds the home department portfolio. 

The state government, however, denied having any report regarding radicalization of these Rohingyas. 

"However, their children are reportedly being provided education in six Madrasas (Islamic seminaries) in many city areas," it said. 

There are estimates of about 36,000 Rohingyas living in India after facing exodus from Myanmar.