Share your story and shine at JK Monitor!🌟 Welcome to JK Monitor, where every story matters and every achievement is celebrated! We invite you to share the remarkable journey of your life and showcase your accomplishments to the world. Join our exclusive interviews that honor exceptional individuals just like you. JAMMU: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Raman Suri has welcomed the Centre’s intervention to assess the changing demographic situation in Jammu Kashmir, saying that the recent visit of the high-level committee on demographic changes, headed by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, has brought an important issue into sharper focus. Suri said the committee’s interaction with various sections of society during its visit to Jammu Kashmir is significant, as it provides an opportunity to understand ground realities, demographic changes and the concerns of residents.
He said the exercise should culminate in a comprehensive assessment based on facts, official records and inputs gathered from people across different sections. He said that even localities traditionally dominated by particular communities are increasingly expressing apprehensions over the presence of undocumented foreign nationals and the possible impact on security, resources, employment and the demographic balance of the region.
“The concerns being expressed by people cannot simply be brushed aside or reduced to a political or communal issue. Jammu Kashmir has witnessed the consequences of security challenges for decades, and every demographic development having a bearing on national security and social stability deserves serious examination and repatriation under law,” Suri said.
He urged the Centre and the UT administration to undertake a comprehensive, transparent and time-bound verification exercise to identify undocumented foreign nationals living in Jammu Kashmir. Such an exercise, he said, must establish their identity, nationality, date and manner of entry, present location and other relevant details through proper official mechanisms and deported accordingly.
Suri stressed that illegal immigrants must be dealt with strictly under the law and established procedure, while genuine Indian citizens must be fully protected from harassment or wrongful identification. “The objective should be clear: identify those who are illegally staying in the country, verify their antecedents and take lawful steps for their deportation wherever applicable,” he said.
Referring to the demographic assessment committee headed by Justice Naolekar, Suri said its interactions with different sections of society should be given due importance and its findings should be examined seriously by the concerned authorities. He said demographic changes cannot be understood merely through statistics and that the experiences and concerns of people on the ground are equally important.
Suri said Jammu Kashmir cannot afford complacency on issues concerning illegal immigration, particularly when the Union Territory has historically remained vulnerable to attempts at exploiting social and demographic fault lines. “The message must be unambiguous: Jammu Kashmir welcomes every genuine Indian citizen and respects those who are here through lawful means, but illegal entry and unauthorised settlement cannot be allowed to undermine the security, resources or demographic stability of the region,” he said.
