The Parliamentary Committee on Demographic Changes concluded its three-day visit to Jammu on Thursday, 13 August, after holding wide-ranging consultations with government and police officials, community groups, and civil society organisations on demographic shifts in Jammu and Kashmir. The visit marks the committee's first major field exercise since its constitution by the Centre in May.

Key Consultations and Submissions

Among the most significant submissions was a 500-page study presented by Panun Kashmir, covering demographic developments over an extended historical period. The delegation comprised Panun Kashmir convener Agnishekhar, chairman Tito Ganju, and representatives of the Jonaraja Institute of Genocide and Atrocities Studies (JIGAS). The study examines population patterns, migration, displacement, settlement, political representation, and property ownership, with a particular focus on the long-term consequences of displacement in the Kashmir Valley.

The Public Opinion Forum, represented by president Parveen Kumar Sharma and general secretary Dr Gopal Parthasarthi Sharma, submitted a memorandum raising concerns about the region's changing demographic profile. The Forum called for strict action against illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh, including deportation, citing what it described as potential security challenges arising from their presence in the Jammu region.

Field Visits and Community Interactions

During the three-day programme, the committee visited Jagti township, a major resettlement colony for displaced Kashmiri Pandits, and inspected a slum area in Narwal where Rohingya immigrants are reportedly residing. The panel also interacted with representatives of several communities, including refugees from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), West Pakistani refugees, Team Jammu, Gorkha Samaj, and Valmiki Samaj.

Committee Composition and Mandate

The high-level committee is headed by Justice (Retd) Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar and includes Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar, former IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, former IPS officer Balaji Srivastava, and economist Shamika Ravi. Constituted in May, the panel's mandate is to examine demographic changes across different parts of the country arising from illegal immigration and other abnormal causes, and to recommend corrective measures.

Justice Navlekar separately paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi at the conclusion of the visit, while the remaining members returned to New Delhi.

What Comes Next

The submissions gathered in Jammu — including studies, memoranda, and community representations — are expected to feed into the committee's broader national assessment of demographic changes and their associated social, political, and security implications. Further field visits to other regions are anticipated as the panel continues its countrywide exercise.