Minorities within the Kashmir Valley are gripped by a way of tension and concern, with many authorities workers and lecturers from Kashmiri Pandit and Sikh communities returning to Jammu, some searching for switch, and lots of away from work as a result of rising safety considerations. staying.
Sushil, a junior assistant within the schooling division in Srinagar, returned to Jammu early Friday. “We ran from Kashmir on a bike (we fled to Kashmir on a bike),” he stated.
NS “Targeted Murder” of a Sikh Female Principal and a Kashmiri Hindu Teacher in Srinagar has left them edgy and suspicious of all. “Kashmir mein sadak par chaltey huey humey ek hi khayal aata raha ke jo koi bhi humari taraf dekh raha hai, woh humey goli mar dega (Along the roads in Kashmir, we suspected anyone looking at us, worried he would shoot us),” Susheel informed The Indian Express.
Security is of paramount concern for these returning to Jammu. Siddharth Raina (title modified) was simply two years previous when his household fled Kashmir in 1990 together with over one lakh Pandits. In Jammu and Kashmir Education Department below the Prime Minister’s Package.
On Friday, Siddhartha left for Jammu from Anantnag along with his spouse in what he described as a “sleepless and frightening night”. “I could not sleep the whole night and left for Jammu the very next morning. There are loose statements of harmony and peace, but no assurance of security. If they can go to the teachers and kill them after seeing their identity cards, then who will guarantee the safety of Kashmiri Pandit employees like me,” he informed The Indian Express over telephone from Jammu.
Sushil stated that his Muslim allies had been useful, however it’s for the federal government to assume whether or not the staff of the minority group can really feel secure in such circumstances. “Teachers from minority group are posted in distant hilly areas of the valley. What can they do aside from return to Jammu?”
The J&Ok authorities denied any ‘reverse migration’ of minority group workers posted within the Valley below the PM package deal. J&Ok Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner Ashok Pandita stated, “We have taken up the matter with the Kashmir Divisional Commissioner and sought instructions to all of the Deputy Commissioners of the Valley to make sure the protection of the staff residing in safe authorities lodging of their respective districts. Is.”
But floor proof suggests many are returning. Ramesh Kumar, proprietor of a provision store in Jagti township, a settlement of migrant Kashmiri Pandits close to Nagrota in Jammu, stated that many employees posted in Kashmir below the PM package deal have returned. “I’ve met at the least 30 at this time as they got here to buy after 2-3 months. They stated they fled from the valley… Some stated they left round 12 o’clock.
Shop proprietor Ramesh Kumar stated, “Jo wholesome boys had been na, woh bhi aaj bechare har gaye (even males of excellent physique misplaced their braveness). Even as he was chatting with the Indian Express, the 2 households arrived in numerous autos from the Valley. They had been hesitant to talk and ran to their respective quarters. A neighbor informed that he feared strain from the federal government to return to his responsibility within the Valley.
An worker of the Finance Department in Pulwama returned along with his spouse and two kids on Saturday afternoon. “I didn’t want to come back, but my parents in Jammu insisted that we come for a few days till the situation returns to normal,” he stated on situation of anonymity.
Another migrant Kashmiri Pandit stated that his son has left Kupwara alongside along with his spouse and two minor kids. “They are reaching here by evening. There is very little one can do in the present circumstances, especially when living in a rented place outside safe accommodation,” he stated, requesting anonymity.
Kashmiri Pandits who didn’t depart even in 1990 are adopting wait-and-watch mode. The heightened concern since final week has compelled them to maneuver round with nice care. “Unlike in 1990, there is a huge fear and I am suspicious of almost everyone around me. From the incidents of murder with pistols, it seems that they are not even getting weapons training as before. Anger against outsiders started rising after the abrogation of Article 370 and the recent deteriorating situation in Afghanistan has made it worse,” stated Rohit Pandita (title modified), of a 54-year-old store at an upmarket place in Srinagar. stated the proprietor.
However, Pandita will not be planning to go away. “I had 4-5 outlets earlier and now I run a store. I’ve been and will probably be for thus a few years. Murders are happening on either side of Partition, however the authorities is silent.
KL Singh (title modified), a Sikh businessman in Srinagar who stayed within the Nineteen Nineties, stated that for the primary time in so a few years, Sikhs are feeling concern. “Fear has been put in our mind. For the first time a woman in our community has been killed in point blank range. She was doing a humanitarian work to help a Muslim girl’s education, yet she was killed. This is an extreme act and will not be tolerated by us,” stated Singh, who can be a member of Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Srinagar.
“My niece, who works as a trainer in distant areas of Kashmir, has stopped going to work. They are demanding secure posting. The latest directive to hoist the flag on August 15 was for everybody, together with Muslims, and never only for lecturers from Sikhs or different minority communities. But the minorities have been remoted. I’ve by no means seen a lot concern and silence right here in all these years. The killings of minorities must be brazenly condemned by the bulk group.
At a press convention on Saturday, Sikh leaders stated the Sikh group wouldn’t be distracted by the killing of its members. “They (the killers) must be thinking that after killing four Sikhs or ten Sikhs, Sikhs will leave Kashmir,” stated Joginder Singh Shan, People’s Democratic Party’s minority affairs secretary and a outstanding Sikh chief. “We will not be going to go away Kashmir due to these killings. This is our Kashmir. In 1947, 33,000 Sikhs gave blood for this.
Sikh leaders stated they had been shocked by the identification and killing of members of the minority group. “Our complaint (with the Muslim community) is that when we took out a procession for the cremation and protested outside the (civil) secretariat, they did not come with us. Our complaint to the government is that two or three members of the community have already been killed, but they did not take any concrete steps to protect the minority employees,” stated one other Sikh chief Navtej Singh.
.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
