Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha has taken a much-awaited initiative be deciding to provide justice to the families of terror victims in Jammu and Kashmir. On Sunday he met the families of terror victims and assured and assured them that their cases will be re-opened and government of India is committed to provide them justice which has been delayed for too long. He regretted that the pain of these victims was ignored, their stories untold and that the truth was deliberately suppressed. On Tuesday, LG took a review meeting in this regard wherein it was decided that a special cell and a toll-free number will be established in the Lieutenant Governor’s secretariat for addressing the concerns of the families of terror victims and to bring the culprits to justice. LG directed deputy commissioners and SSPs to reopen terror cases which were “deliberately buried”.
It goes without saying that there are thousands of terror victims who were ignored both by the governments, that be, and the society as a whole. In this backdrop, LG’s decision to help these victims seek justice is appreciable. In this regard, the Police and the civil administration should gear up and identify the cases about which FIRs were lodged and also those where no FIRs were lodged. The toll-free number should be widely circulated and District Police Chiefs too should have a special toll-free number so that the victims can have an easy access to reach out to the concerned authorities. These people have waited for too long, they deserve justice and LG’s initiative is a right step in right direction. These family deserve closure so that they can move ahead in life with dignity.
That said, there are thousands who died during these years for the simple reason that they were at a wrong place at a wrong time. Those who were killed in road side grenade attacks, blasts, those who were caught in cross-fire and lost their lives, their families too need justice. While pursuing the cases of terror victims, the government should task the concerned authorities to identify such victim family and then take proper steps to help them. Indirectly, they too are terror victims and should be treated like the families of direct terror victims. These steps will go a long way in winning the hearts of the people whom the justice has eluded for so long.
