MHA shares details of 2100 foreigners, who visited India for Tablighi activity

New Delhi:Sharing the details of 2100 foreign nationals, who visited the country for Tablighi activities since January, the Centre on Tuesday said the  Government is determined to identify all COVID-19 positive Tablighi Jamaat (TJ)  members, who had attended the religious congregation at Nizamuddin West, now identified as the latest Novel Coronavirus hotspot, so as to isolate and quarantine them. 

 Sharing the details of the 2100 foreigners, who essentially arrived on tourist visas and indulged in missionary activities, in contravention of the visa norms, the Centre has now decided to blacklist the 281 foreign nationals, who attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Nizamuddin, violating the travel rules.

Usually, all the foreign nationals visiting India as part of a Tabligh team, come on the strength of tourist visa. The MHA had already issued guidelines that they should not indulge in missionary work on tourist visa. The State Police would be examining categories of visas of all these foreign TJ workers and take further action in case of violation of visa conditions.

In a statement issued on March 31, the Home Ministry said that while around  824 of them were dispersed in different parts of the country for missionary work  as on March 21, the rest 216 of them were staying at Nizamuddin Markaz, where 24  of them tested positive for COVID-19.

Tablighi Jamaat workers, both foreigners as well Indians, indulge in preaching tours or Chilla across the country throughout the year

Various nationals, particularly from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand,Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan come for  Tabligh activities.

All such foreign nationals normally report their arrival at TablighMarkaz at Banglewali Mosque in Hazrat Nizamuddin, the statement said  and from here, they are detailed for Chilla activities to different parts of the country.

 The Chilla activities in all states are coordinated by district coordinatorsin different districts, who, in turn, in some states are supervised by 'state Amirs'.  

"As on March 21, there were about 1,746 people staying in Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz. Of these, 216 were foreigners,1530 were Indians and  about 824 foreigners had been, as on March 21, doing

Chilla activities in various parts of the country," the Statement said.

The Union Home Ministry shared details of TJ workers in India with all States on March 21 after COVID-19 positive cases surfaced in Telangana, the Statement said.

"So far, 1339 Tabligh Jamaat workers have been shifted to Narela, Sultanpuri and Bakkarwala quarantine facilities as well as to hospitals," it added. 

The Ministry said the State Police will examine visas of all these foreign TJ workers and take further action in case of violation of visa conditions

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) shared details of foreign and Indian Tabhlig Jamaat (TJ) workers in India with all States on March 21, 2020, after COVID-19 positive cases among these workers surfaced in Telangana.

Apart from advisory to the States to identify, isolate and quarantine TJ workers who might be COVID-19 positive, the Home Ministry also issued instructions to the Chief Secretaries and Directors Generals of Police of all States as well as Commissioner of Police, Delhi. 

The advisories were reiterated by the Director of Intelligence Bureau to all State police chiefs on March 28 and 29.

Meanwhile, TJ workers staying in the Markaz in Nizamuddin, Delhi, were also persuaded for medical screening by State authorities and Police. 

By March 29, nearly 162 TJ workers were medically screened and shifted to quarantine facilities. So far,1,339 Tabligh Jamaat workers have been shifted to Narela, Sultanpuri and Bakkarwala quarantine facilities as well as to LNJP, RGSS, GTB, DDU Hospitals and AllMS, Jhajjar. Rest of them are being medically screened for COVID-19 infections.

Details of these 824 foreigners had been shared on March 21 with the State Police for identifying them, getting them medically screened and quarantining them. On March 28, State Police were advised to collect the names of Indian Tabligh Jamaat workers from the local coordinators, locate them on the ground, get them medically screened and quarantine them. 

So far, about 2137 such persons have been identified in different States. They are being medically examined and quarantined. This process is still on and more such people would be identified and located, the Government said. 

All the Tabligh Jamaat workers staying at Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz are being medically screened since March 26. So far 1,203 Tabligh Jamaat workers have been medically screened. 

''Of the 1,203, 303 Tabligh workers had symptoms of COVID-19 and were referred to different hospitals in Delhi. Rest of them have been moved to different quarantine centres at Narela, Bakkarwala and Sultanpuri,'' the statement added.(UNI)