The rise in targeted killings by terrorists has triggered another round of exits of migrant Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. Several panic-stricken government employees, working under the Prime Minister’s relief package, highlighted the worsening situation in Kashmir after they reached Jammu on Thursday.
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Amit Kaul, an employee under the PM package, said that the situation in the Valley is getting worse, citing the Thursday killings of a bank manager from Rajasthan and a migrant labourer from Bihar. Kaul said that 30-40 families have left the city as their demands were not fulfilled. He added that safer places are within the city only.
“Today’s Kashmir is more dangerous than the 1990s. Most important question is why our people were locked in our colonies. Why administration is hiding their failure?” said a person named Ajay.
“Even security personnel are not safe here, how civilians will save themselves. More families will leave the city (Srinagar). Camps of Kashmiri pandits were sealed off by police,” said a person named Ashu.
Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) president Sanjay Tickoo confirmed that many Kashmiri Pandits left the Valley on Thursday. “As per my information around 65 employees with their families have left.”
As families started leaving the Valley after Vijay Kumar’s killing in Kulgam, KPSS demanded security for families leaving Kashmir till Banihal tunnel.
“Kashmiri Pandit Package employees in Mattan have requested DC Anantnag to provide them security till Banihal tunnel as they will be mass migration tomorrow to Jammu. DC and SSP Anantnag are present in Mattan Transit camp Anantnag,” tweeted the Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti.
National Conference spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said that Kashmiri Pandits are not feeling safe, calling their exit “unfortunate”.
“Kashmir is their home and we all have a responsibility to keep them safe. We want a sense of security and not hollow words. The situation is worse than what it was in early 90’s and this is how the BJP and their administration has mishandled Kashmir,” he said.
