Rohingya refugees, who arrived from Myanmar last night, walk in a rice field after crossing the border in Palang Khali near Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
State Police dubs report as speculation sans evidence
Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 13
A national news agency on Thursday carried a news item under the headline, “Rohingyas likely to attack Nagaland: Intel sources,” warning against the “likely attack on the people of Nagaland by the Rohingyas.”
“Highlighting the security threat that Rohingyas pose to national security, the intelligence branch of Nagaland Police on Thursday warned against a likely attack on the people of Nagaland by the Rohingyas,” reported the ANI news agency.
“The Nagaland Intelligence sources confirmed that the Imam of Dimapur is contacting the Rohingya rebels and has commenced collecting huge amount of arms and ammunitions from Bangladesh,” it said, adding that “according to officials, 2,000 Muslims have volunteered to take up arms against the Nagas, if the latter try to drive them out.”
It further quoted the former BSF Inspector General taking the seizure of “sophisticated firearms” by Bangladesh Police on April 1, 2004, to buttress the story.
The news item, however, has been widely circulating in social media in Nagaland. The particular ‘news’ was first widely shared in Facebook and in Whatsapp groups on October 10 under the caption, “Stay Alert Nagaland” citing “Intelligence Branch, Nagaland Police,” as the source.
It was a follow up to the “prophesy” widely circulated since October 7 under the headline, “A Jihad declaration on the Nagas” imagining a hypothetical scenario of Nagaland in 2025 using the name “The Imam of Dimapur.”
Finally, on October 11, again a message was circulated that “so called Imam of Dimapur” was “shot dead along with three of his accomplice at Dobhinala Dimapur,” once again attributing the source to Nagaland Police.
Consequently, the Idgah Committee, the apex body of all the Mosques of Dimapur District, had clarified that “some vested individuals” have been spreading “false propaganda” in Nagaland about the Muslim community.
Rumours are being circulated widely on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook “with a malafide intention to discredit the integrity, respect of the Muslim community,” a press release from Shanawar Shaikh, President of the Committee clarified on October 11.
The Committee also requested the Police and Law Enforcing Agencies to “trace the anti social elements/culprits and make it public to remove the unnecessary doubts from the minds of the people and restore social harmony and trust among the citizens.”
Police rubbishes report as speculation sans evidence
Reacting to the news report as well as the social media circulations, a top police official in Nagaland said today the state police has no official input as regards the purported “intelligence report.”
Refusing to give credence to the story, he informed that the police is “tracing the messages backward” to ascertain its origin.
The official further said that the current concern over “illegal immigration” in Nagaland should not be mixed with the ‘Rohingya issue.’ “The former is a local issue while the other is a refugee issue.”
Calling the agency report unfortunate, he said that it was unnecessarily speculative and without any solid evidence.
