Pandit employees stage sit-in near BB Cant, demand transfer to safer places
Srinagar: Continuing their protest against the killing of a Pandit employee Rahul Bhat by militants in Tehsil office at Chadoora area of Budgam earlier this month, Kashmiri Pandit employees today sat on a ‘dharna’ near Badami Bagh cantonment here to press for their transfer to safer places.
Protestors said they don’t feel safe in Kashmir after the targeted killing of Rahul Bhat as the government despite assurances has so far failed to provide security to them.
Holding placards which read “Relocate us to safer places”, “KPs cannot be made scapegoats” and “Voices must be heard as it isn’t 90’s”, the protesters amid sloganeering demanded immediate transfer of all PM package employees to safer places.
“Jaan hai to jahan hai (life is everything); gunmen entered Bhat’s office chamber, asked his name and then killed him. Tehsil office Budgam houses offices of several higher-ups of the administration including SDM and is considered safe place as the same is under tight security cover,” Puja, a protester, said.
She said “when gunmen could enter and kill an employee in his office, how could they spare other employees working and living under vulnerable circumstances in the valley?”
She appealed to the Centre to transfer all PM package employees anywhere in India as they don’t want to work in Kashmir anymore.
She alleged that “despite holding back to back meetings, issuing orders vis-à-vis our security in the valley, the government has so far not taken any step in this direction. We request the government to have pity on our plight, and ensure our posting to safer places in India as we cannot live in Kashmir anymore.”
She said they don’t want their families to get compensation and jobs after they are killed by militants in Kashmir. “Why should we put our lives in trouble, why should our families suffer, for god sake let us live as no compensation or jobs can compensate human lives.”
