Dear Editor,
Once again the barbaric brute forces in Kashmir have gunned down a Kashmiri Pandit Sunil Kumar in an apple orchard in Chotigam area of Shopian district. This dastardly and gruesome killing of an innocent Kashmiri Pandit has shattered the whole KP community. Centre government has miserably failed to protect the precious lives of KPs and other non-locals in Kashmir. Since after the abrogation of article -370 and 35-A, the situation in Kashmir has become terribly volatile as the attacks on Hindu minorities are happening day in and day out without any respite. Selective and targeted killings of Hindu minorities and other non locals have created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among all Hindu minorities. However, the PM package migrant employees are protesting from the last 100 days in favour of their one point demand of relocation outside valley as they feel very apprehensive about their safety and security in Kashmir. Since after the martyrdom of Rahul Bhat, these hapless employees are on roads and are agitating for their survival and existence. These Pandit employees are not demanding anything impractical or unachievable things, they are only demanding the government to ensure their Right to Life. But the insensitive BJP government is paying deaf ears towards their genuine demand of relocation outside Kashmir. It is very ironic that the BJP government is using the Kashmiri Pandits only to garner votes in other states but when it comes to ground zero their issues and demands are totally being overlooked and disregarded by the centre government. Kashmiri Pandit Package employees are being treated as sacrificial goats at the altar of secular democracy. These unfortunate employees have become now the prisoners of wars. Their needs and helplessness is being exploited by the centre government.
It is very excruciating that the centre government has maintained stoic silence over the relocation demand of KP package employees for the best reasons known to them. By not paying any heed towards the genuine demand of relocation of package employees, the centre government is only aggravating the situation further in Kashmir as these Pandit Package employees are more vulnerable in Kashmir and thus cannot perform their duties under fear of gun toting terrorists.
These have become the soft targets in Kashmir. It is high time now that the government must immediately relocate/attach all Package employees to Relief Commissioners Migrant office Jammu in order to stop any further bloodshed. Is anybody listening is the million dollar question?
Vivek Koul,
Jammu.
