Dear Editor,
Time and again government has turned a complete blind eye towards non-migrant Kashmiri Sikh community by not extending benefits of PM’s job package to them. Recently J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has advertised 1997 supernumerary posts for Kashmiri Migrants and Non-Migrant Kashmiri Pandits under the special Prime Minister’s employment package. It is very unfortunate and ironical that J&K Government has made ammendments in laws through SRO-425 that violates the equality clause by further extending job package to Non-Migrant Kashmiri Pandits thereby treating Kashmiri Non-Migrant Sikh Community differently than the similarly placed Kashmir Pandits. The Government has done sheer discrimination to non-migrant Kashmiri Sikh community by not covering them under this employment package.
One wonders as to why the Government has done this injustice towards the non-migrant Sikh community. This job package was basically designed for only Kashmiri Migrants (those who have migrated from Kashmir during terrorism in 90s and are registered as Migrants in Relief Commissioner’s office Jammu) but now non-migrant Pandits can also apply for these 1997 posts, which in itself made this rehabilitation package totally biased and discriminatory. Now the Department of Disaster Management Relief Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR) must re-think upon it and should consider the plea of inclusion of Non-Migrant Kashmiri Sikh community under the job package. It is the need of the hour that the Government should adopt a balanced approach as far as this return and rehabilitation package is concerned and must cover Non-Migrant Kashmiri Sikh Community as well under the job package by extending benefits to them.
Dr. Baljit Singh,
Badami Bagh, Srinagar.
