Through PTI
SHEIKHPORA: Concern and anger had been writ huge at the faces of Kashmiri Pandit staff and their members of the family as they persevered their protest on Saturday on the Sheikhpora transit camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district in opposition to the killing of Rahul Bhat and critical their relocation to more secure puts outdoor Kashmir Valley.
A posse of safety forces body of workers stood guard outdoor the camp, ostensibly for his or her coverage. The protesters, alternatively, claimed that the protection forces body of workers averted them from putting off a protest march.
The camp, which properties the households of Bhat and different Kashmir Pandits who had been hired underneath the top minister’s package deal in 2008, has turn into an epicentre of protests within the aftermath of the killing Bhat, who was once shot lifeless through terrorists in his administrative center in Chadoora on Thursday.
The protesters had been hard their relocation to secure environments within the wake of a spurt within the assaults at the minority neighborhood individuals within the valley.
On Saturday, over 100 staff — women and men — sat underneath a big makeshift tent, so as to offer protection to themselves from the sizzling warmth prevalent around the valley, as they protested in opposition to Bhat’s killing as neatly to press for the acceptance in their calls for.
To this point, they mentioned, there have been no visual indicators of any answer to the issues. “That is the failure of each the central in addition to the union territory governments. That is the 9th killing (of minority neighborhood individuals), we face massive issues, however there is not any redressal,” Vimal, a Kashmiri pandit worker, informed PTI on the camp.
He mentioned for the migrant staff to paintings freely, a secure and safe atmosphere will have to be created. “There has to have fool-proof safety preparations for us to paintings. We can not paintings like this and so, we’re making plans to publish mass resignations,” Vimal mentioned.
On Friday, there have been studies of mass resignations through the workers, particularly within the militancy-hit south Kashmir, however the executive pushed aside the ones.
As a substitute, it mentioned, their service-related problems had been being addressed in a time-bound means inside of every week. Vimal, alternatively, mentioned the federal government’s intentions weren’t transparent. Whilst many paid tributes to Bhat — {a photograph} of his was once put on a desk — a number of others raised slogans in opposition to the federal government and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
A tri-colour additionally positioned at the desk. The protesters were given up and rushed in opposition to the principle gate of the camp which has close through the police since Friday night time. The protesters attempted to throw the gate open, however police prevailed. A police automobile was once additionally introduced in entrance of the gate to forestall the march of the protesters.
The workers — who on Friday had sat at the major street connecting the district with Srinagar town in addition to the airport — mentioned they had been fooled through the police into vacating the street and had been now “caged” within the transit camp.
“We had been got rid of from the dharna through the DIG (central Kashmir) at the assurance that the Lieutenant Governor will come to look us. Then again, the LG didn’t come. He despatched his major secretary, Nitishwar Kumar, as an alternative round 11 pm,” Vimal mentioned. “He (Kumar) had no answers, no redressal to our problems,” one of the most staff mentioned.
Sanjay Kumar, some other worker, mentioned studies about offering the migrant staff fingers licenses had been “faux”. The neighborhood has a approach to their issues — the federal government will have to quickly relocate them to “more secure puts” until a safe environment is created within the valley.
“For the time-being, two years, 3 years, we will have to be relocated until the time they keep watch over the location. They aren’t doing anything else excluding telling us that there is not any provision to relocate them,” some other worker from the neighborhood, Aparna Pandit, mentioned.
The Kashmiri Pandits mentioned they have got by no means pop out on roads or raised their voice, however Bhat’s killing has “shook us”.
“Do they would like us lifeless? We will be able to publish mass resignations as the federal government has utterly failed as a result of now staff are killed within their places of work. The place is the protection? Why is there no provision for us to be transferred outdoor Kashmir? Folks can come from Bihar and Maharashtra to paintings right here, however we can not move outdoor,” she mentioned.
They claimed their issues will proceed as the federal government was once “making us sacrificial lamb”. “Both settle for our mass resignations or do one thing to safe our lives. Switch us then to every other state in India. The federal government mentioned they are able to neither settle for our resignation, nor switch us,” she mentioned.
Some other Kashmiri pandit, who didn’t want to be named, mentioned the federal government needs to create an environment of concern. “They don’t need us to reside fortuitously right here. We left our households, our kids had been residing fortuitously and learning neatly after they informed us they’re going to rehabilitate us. Is that this what that rehabilitation is? Has Rahul Bhat been rehabilitated?” he mentioned.
“Why are we no longer being allowed to visit press colony (in Srinagar) to protest Bhat’s killing and to pay homage to him? Why are we being caged right here? Are we stone-pelters? Are we anti-national components, terrorists? We sat peacefully the day prior to this. The police is intentionally harassing us,” he mentioned.
Whilst the protest persevered close to the principle gate, the entire transit camp — which properties about 300 households — offered a grim image.
Many Kashmiri Pandits, particularly the aged, had been busy with their day-to-day chores, however none of them looked to be at peace. Their faces betrayed their hearts which had, for goodbye, been longing to go back to Kashmir.