Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday expressed regret that the system in the past “failed” the victims of terrorism by ignoring their pain and by not giving their cases the priority they deserved, but asserted that his administration is now working on empowering such people.
The LG made these remarks after handing over appointment letters to 39 next of kin (NOKs) of terror victims in the Kashmir valley at the Lok Bhavan here.
“Today handed over appointment letters to NoKs of terror victims from Kashmir Division. For these families, today the long wait for justice has ended. With concrete steps for rehabilitation, we have restored their dignity and faith in the system,” Sinha said in a post on X.
The LG reiterated his commitment to delivering justice, jobs and dignity to terror victim families. The family members, whose loved ones were mercilessly killed by terrorists, narrated the horrifying incidents and the trauma they suffered for decades in silence, an official press release said.
“For these families, today the long wait for justice has ended. With concrete steps for rehabilitation, we have restored their dignity and faith in the system,” the LG said.
Sinha said terrorism not only claimed lives, but also shattered families and condemned innocent households into “decades of silence, stigma, and poverty”.
“Behind every brutal killing by terrorists lies a story of a home that never recovered, of children who grew up without parents. For a long time, the system ignored the pain and trauma of these families.
“Pakeeza Riyaz of Anantnag, whose father, Riyaz Ahmed Mir, was killed in 1999, and Shaista of Hyderpora, Srinagar, whose father, Abdul Rashid Ganai, was murdered in 2000, have both received government job letters, finally ending their long quest for justice and economic stability.
“Ishtiyaq Ahmad, the son of BSF jawan Altaf Hussain, who was martyred in a terrorist encounter nearly 19 years ago, also secured a government job, bringing support to a family that has endured great hardship since his father’s supreme sacrifice.
“Justice was finally granted to the family of Dilawar Ganie and his son, Fayaz Ganie of Qazigund, who were brutally murdered on February 4, 2000. In a single day, Fayaz’s little daughter Fozy had lost the two pillars of her life, two generations of support and guidance. The family home, which once echoed with warmth and laughter, suddenly turned into a place marked by silence and they have lived in fear and grief for 25 years.
“Thirty years ago, Abdul Aziz Dar, a resident of Srinagar, was murdered by terrorists. Today marked the end of his family’s prolonged search for justice,” the LG said.
“Real victims of terrorism and true martyrs were hounded by elements within the terror ecosystem. On one hand, the OGWs were appointed in govt jobs, on the other, NoKs of terror victims were left to fend for themselves (sic),” he alleged.
The LG said that for generations, “the system had failed these victims by not giving their cases the priority they deserved”.
“We are empowering victims’ voices and ensuring they get their dues and rights they deserve. We are also committed for swift and fair justice to perpetrators,” he added.
The LG said that after the abrogation of Article 370, the terror victim families have found new courage and self-confidence, and now they are speaking out against the terror ecosystem without fear.
He said that continuing the fight against terrorism is a task that society as a whole has to undertake.
“We must pledge to fight against the scourge with determination, patience and foil the efforts of our adversary,” he said.
Sinha said under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, “our policy on terrorism is unequivocal – zero tolerance to terrorism in all its forms”.
“Every available resource and means will be used to make J&K terrorism-free and those who are giving sanctuary, safe-haven or any other support to terrorists will have to pay a very heavy price,” the LG warned.
On the occasion, appointment letters were also handed over to 39 other beneficiaries under Compassionate Appointment Rules SRO-43 and Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme (RAS).
One hundred and fifty-six (156) family members of terror victims have been provided self-employment opportunities under various schemes, including Mission Yuva, Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) and Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), the official press release said.
It also informed that 17 encroachments have been removed from the properties belonging to terror victim families, while 36 such families have been identified for house reconstruction.
More families will be identified and included as the process continues. The reconstruction work for the houses of the families whose homes were destroyed due to Pakistani shelling in Uri and Karnah will commence in April, the press release informed.
