Vivek Koul
It is indeed very sad and agonizing that the government has turned a complete blind eye over the one point demand of relocation of PM package employees. These employees are agitating over the past 50 days with indomitable spirit but to the utter surprise the government is deliberately ignoring the PM Package employees’ main demand of relocation outside the valley for the best reasons known to them. The situation in Kashmir is terribly volatile and tense since after the spurt in selective killing of Hindu minority employees at their workplaces by the radical brute forces. There is an unprecedented situation in Kashmir and thus PM package employees are in fear, distress and panic stricken. After the inception of the economic package for Kashmiri Pandits some 12 years back it has been seen that there is gross human rights violations as far as the PM package employees are concerned. It is also to be believed that this Job Package for KPs was implemented on the wrong lines. The reason behind its wrong implementation was that neither the accommodation was given to these employees nor any sort of security cover was provided by the government thus concerned authorities itself have indirectly broken the bond/agreement. Now, there is total confusion, turmoil and turbulence in Kashmir owing to the fear instilled by targeted and selective killings of minorities. It is also in place to mention here that there is no safe zone/place in Kashmir keeping in view the present security scenario. Each and every place has turned vulnerable for Kashmir Pandit Package employees as the intruders and radical forces are present everywhere. The Government can’t provide security to all Package employees everytime and everywhere. Therefore, government’s decision of posting the employees at district headquarters is only a futile step and will only add woes to the package employees. These PM package Kashmiri Pandit employees are the soft targets for the gun wielding militants in Kashmir and therefore the government should not force these unfortunate employees to work in Kashmir. It will not be possible for these sons of soil to work under the fear of gun toting terrorists. The relocation demand of package employees is very genuine as well as authentic so the government should put aside their ego and prestige & must temporary order their relocation outside Kashmir in order to stop any further bloodshed. There is no denying the fact that these PM package employees are patriotic and nationalist to the core. Government should understand this fact that PM Package employees and other Hindu minorities were being massacred because of being patriotic and nationalist in nature. PM package employees have always followed the path of non-violence and are always hand in glove with the policies of the government. Now the government and policy makers need to understand the gravity and enormity of the situation in Kashmir as far as minority killings is concerned. The LG’s administration should initiate talks with the protesting stakeholders of this agitation and must have to take all Package employees into confidence. It is high-time now that these Package employees need healing touch of the government but very ironically the centre government and LG administration is reluctant to redress the demand of relocation. The protesting Package employees are unequivocally demanding their immediate attachment in the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioners’ Migrant Office Jammu till proper roadmap for their safety and security be chalked out by the government. The Relief Commissioner Migrants Office Jammu is the nodal office of all the PM package employees who are working in Kashmir. These employees are not demanding anything impractical but are only demanding the safety of their lives which is only possible if the government adjust these package employees outside Kashmir. But it is very unfortunate that the government seems to be less interested in resolving this issue of relocation. It has been widely observed that the government always uses these package employees as laboratory objects for experimentation purposes only. The LG administration and the centre government is least bothered as far as woes and miseries of PM package employees is concerned. However, there is an urgent need to delink this PM Job package with the Rehabilitation package. It was under a well-knit strategy and conspiracy of the then government that a bond/agreement was made to be signed by all PM package employees at the time of appointment. The bond was completely arbitrary and unconstitutional in nature. It is the height of injustice that these hapless Package employees are being used as bonded labourers in Kashmir and the Bosses treat them as slaves in the offices. This is the greatest human tragedy of the modern world where the employees are being treated as sacrificial goats by the authorities at the helm of affairs. Moreover, the successive governments linked this economic package with the rehabilitation policy of KPs. The government always hoodwinked Kashmiri Pandits in the name of ‘Rehabilitation of KPs back to Kashmir’ only to gain political mileage. It has been around 12 years now since this Job Package for Kashmiri Migrants was implemented but on ground zero not even a single family migrated back to valley. It is crystal clear that PM package employees are living in Kashmir on temporary basis for the Job purpose only. This in itself shows that Kashmiri Pandit youths out of compulsion, urge and need accepted and adopted this economic package of the then government. It is now urged through these columns of your esteemed newspaper that centre Government and LG’s administration must listen to one point demand of ‘Relocation of PM package employees outside Kashmir valley’ and immediately attach them to the Relief Commissioner Migrants office Jammu till Kashmir be declared as total terror-free by the Government.
