Raja Syed Rather
Srinagar, Dec 9: The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday clarified that the issue of Rohingya refugees is a humanitarian one and they must not be treated like animals; they are human beings and must be treated as such.
The Chief Minister while speaking to the reporters when asked about the restoration of the water supplies to the Rohingya refugees taking shelter in Jammu, said that his government cannot allow the refugees to starve or let them die of cold.
Last week, the water and power connections of many such property owners, housing the Rohingyas were disconnected and the latter were told to vacate their properties within a month in the Jammu region.
The administration had issued orders to snap the facility to 409 Rohingya families in the Channi Himmat, Sunjuwan and Narwal areas of Jammu.
However, Omar Abdullah led dispensation issued directions to restore the water supply to the Rohingya immigrants.
Omar Abdullah when asked about the issue said that the issue of Rohingya refugees is a humanitarian one. “It is for the central government to decide what to do with them. If they need to be sent back, then send them back. If you can send them, do so. But if you can’t, then you cannot let them starve here or let them die of cold. The Government of India must clarify its policy towards them,” Omar Abdullah told reporters.
He stressed that until a clear decision is made, the refugees must not be subjected to inhumane conditions. “We did not bring them here or settle them. They were brought and settled here by others. If the central government’s policy has changed, then take them wherever you want, but as long as they are here, they must not be treated like animals. They are human beings and must be treated as such,” he added.
