Last Updated on October 9, 2021 at 11:19 am
Due to sudden spike up of the targeted killings of civilians in the Jammu and Kashmir, a situation of chaos has emerged in the region. The past few days witnessed the attacks on minorities in Kashmir which has led to the exodus of several Kashmiri Pandits living in transit camps.
Scores of families even many government employees who returned to the valley after being given jobs under the Prime Minister’s special employment scheme for Kashmiri migrants have quietly left accommodations.
Recently the region had witnessed the killing of a teacher and principal and other civilians which have led to a fear in the minds of minority groups that they will be the next target.
Vinod Bhat, 39, returned to the Valley 10 years ago after getting a job under the PM’s special scheme. In all that time, he said that he had never felt unsafe and now after the attacks, around a third of the neighbourhood has left. He further said that thirty per cent must have left and asked that who will stay here in such an atmosphere.
The J&K administration and the regional political parties made appeals to Pandits not to migrate. Relief Commissioner A.K. Pandita assured them of providing full security. The Valley’s district commissioners were directed to reach out to the community.
As per reports, many schools have offered Pandit employees 10 days of leave period.
Sanjay Tickoo, who heads the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS) said that neither those who stayed back since the 1990s nor those who returned to the Valley are feeling secure and many are leaving out of fear.
Kashmiri Pandits families who returned to the valley hoped to live a better and peaceful life but these targeted killings have made them to lose their hopes. The biggest challenge lies in the front of the administration and security forces to prevent further attacks and stop the exodus of Pandits.
