Preparing for mass migration: Pandits
SRINAGAR: A group of Kashmiri Pandit employees, who were given jobs under a prime minister’s package for the community, Wednesday began preparations for “mass migration” out of Kashmir, protesting against a series of targeted killings of non-Muslim employees by terrorists.The group said they were meeting truck-owners Wednesday to negotiate a rate for transporting their goods.
Hours after a female teacher was shot dead by terrorists in Kulgam district, an organisation of KP employees had threatened to leave the Valley if the government did not relocate them to safer places in 24 hours.
“We have come to fix the rate with truck-owners. Let’s see if any decision comes from the government by this evening. If not, then we will migrate from here tomorrow,” one of their representatives said here Wednesday.
“We have decided that if the government did not take any concrete step for us ( safety) within 24 hours, there will be mass migration again,” one of the employees said here.
He said the target killing of Kashmiri Pandits is continuing and the community is now tired of making appeals with the government.
“We should be relocated so that we can be saved. Our delegation had met the LG earlier and we had asked him to save us. We are asking for temporary relocation for two to three years till the situation in the valley returns to normal. It is the same time frame put by IGP Kashmir for making Kashmir terrorismfree,” he added.
Rajni Bala, hailing from Samba district in Jammu division, was shot dead by terrorists
Tuesday inside the government school in Kulgam where she was posted.
Before her, Rahul Bhat, a clerk in the office of Tehsildar Chadoora in Budgam district, was shot dead inside his office on May 12. Umesh Talashi, a National Conference leader from south Kashmir, hit out at the BJP for present situation.
“Back to 1990, #KashmiriPandits out fixing the rates with truck drivers for shifting their base to Jammu after back to back target killings in #Kashmir. Another exodus on cards. #BJP missed to mention this while showcasing their 8 years of achievements yesterday!!” Talashi tweeted.
A handful of KP employees assembled at the Ghanta Ghar (Clock tower) at Lal Chowk here to protest against the killing, the officials said.
Another group of employees assembled at Batwara in Sonawar area of the city and raised slogans against the union territory administration for its failure to ensure foolproof security for employees of Hindu communities.
The protestors, mostly women, raised slogans like “Administration hai hai” (down with administration), “minorities ko jeenay do’ (let the minorities live) and “We want justice”.
In South Kashmir Qazigund town, the KP employees blocked one tube of the Jammu-Srinagar Nartional Highway to protest against killing of Rajni Bala inside a school at Gopalpora in Kulgam district on Tuesday.
The protestors appealed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene in the matter to ensure security of the Kashmiri Pandit minorities.
Government has failed completely in providing security for the KPs.
Rahul Bhat was killed inside a district (Tehsil) office on May 12 and today our sister Rajni Bala was shot dead inside the school. “We appeal PM, HM and LG to intervene in the matter. Kashmiri Pandits are on roads now, there is no hope of survival,” one of the protestors said.