Jammu: Asserting that the era of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is over, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday warned that those representing the remnants of the “old terror ecosystem” must realise there is no longer any safe space for terrorism or its supporters in the Union Territory.
Sinha said that the ongoing action will continue until the entire network supporting terrorism is dismantled, and assured that the J&K administration is committed to ensuring that families affected by terrorism are able to live with dignity and respect.
“At the same time, it is necessary to address those who still represent the remnants of the old terror ecosystem or who profit from conflict. I want to tell them clearly that the era of terror and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is over. Everyone knows who once protected these networks, but that protective structure has now collapsed,” the LG said.
Sinha said this while handing over appointment letters to 37 next of kin of victims of terrorism at the convention centre in Jammu, an official press release informed.
Appointment letters were also handed over to 29 NoKs of government employees who lost their lives in service, and beneficiaries in Age relaxation cases, under Jammu & Kashmir Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme-2022 and SRO 43, the release said.
“So far, appointment letters have been given to 438 terror-victim families. This is not merely a number– these are 438 shattered worlds,” Sinha said while addressing the gathering.
Paying tribute to the victims of terrorism, the LG vowed the strongest action against the terror ecosystem and its supporters.
“I pledge to the families of terror victims that we will work with full commitment to secure their dignified and honourable lives. We will discharge every duty towards them with utmost seriousness, and we will not rest until justice reaches every family,” the LG said.
The LG observed that justice for terror victim families is not limited to punishment alone but also involves healing wounds and restoring dignity.
In a stern warning to those supporting “terror infrastructure”, the LG said such elements must understand that there is no longer any safe space for terrorism or its supporters in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sinha, who said the protective structure that once shielded terror networks had collapsed, and those involved would not be able to escape accountability.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir know fully well who shielded such terror elements, but that shield is now crumbling. I warn them that there is no longer any safe haven in Jammu and Kashmir for terrorists or the networks that support them,” he said.
He stressed that the process of identifying such elements and removing them from government service would continue, and they would face action under the law.
Highlighting the plight of victims, the LG said justice also depends on whether society remembers their stories, acknowledges their suffering and wipes their tears.
He said the administration is trying to write a new chapter of memory, dignity and honour for families that were once forgotten.
Sinha said due diligence was being followed to ensure that benefits reach only genuine victims, with thorough verification at the district level involving officials, the Secretariat and agencies such as the CID.
He added that eligible members of terror-affected families should also receive the benefits of the Agnipath scheme without discrimination.
Calling the present moment a “decisive turning point”, he urged influential sections of society to support efforts to secure a brighter future for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Young people aspire for a better life, and it is our collective responsibility to provide opportunities that match their aspirations,” he said.
Referring to the past, Sinha said that “families devastated by terrorism were ignored for decades while elements linked to terror networks allegedly received protection and benefits”.
Such a situation, he said, represented not merely an administrative failure but a collapse of social morality that weakened law, trust and the foundations of a just society.
Describing the measures to ensure that families affected by terrorism live a dignified life as more than a policy reform, Sinha termed them a “moral declaration” for a new Jammu and Kashmir– one that seeks to punish those associated with terror and restore justice to victims on the basis of actions, not identity.
The LG reiterated his commitment to ensuring that every terror victim’s family receives the justice, jobs, recognition and support they deserve after years of suffering.
“Those directly linked to terrorism are being dismissed from service, while decades-long neglected terror-victim families are being given government jobs to secure their economic and social dignity. I see this not merely as a policy correction, but as a new moral declaration for a new Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
He said this is a clear message that a new order has arrived — one that will punish those tied to terrorism and firmly fulfill its duty to restore the dignity of victims.
“This moral declaration is the announcement of a system that defines justice not only in words, but in deeds,” the LG added.
Beneficiaries praise LG after receiving job letters
“Justice has finally been done,” said Abrar Ahmed of Rajouri, who lost his parents to terrorism 26 years ago, after he received his appointment letter from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday.
Abrar is among 438 beneficiaries who were handed government job letters by the LG administration under a policy for terror victims in the past eight months– many of whom had waited 15 to 26 years for relief under the rehabilitation policy.
Recalling his ordeal, Abrar said that militants slit his mother’s throat in 2000, locked the family along with livestock inside their house, and set it on fire. A year later, his father was also killed in a similar manner.
“For us, the LG has come like a God-sent angel. I had lost hope long ago after running from pillar to post to pursue my case. But today, when LG handed me the appointment letter, I could not believe my eyes,” Abrar said.
Muhammad Rafiq from Bandi in Poonch district said that his father was killed by terrorists in 2001, after which he was raised by his maternal grandfather and later educated in an orphanage.
“By giving us this job, it feels like we have been given a new life. I am thankful to LG sahib,” he said.
Muskan from Reasi, whose mother died in a blast and was identified only by a part of her leg, said the appointment brought long-awaited relief. “We followed the files for years, but we got job letters today. We thank LG sahib from the core of our hearts. After so many years, we feel justice has been done,” she said.
Another appointee from Ramban said that his father was taken from their home and killed in 2001. “We were very young and had no understanding then. Today, after 25 years, we finally got this government job,” he said, crediting his grandmother for raising and educating him through difficult times.
Many beneficiaries said they had spent decades visiting government offices without success.
“Our files gathered dust from 1991 till now,” said a relative of an appointee, adding that several families in Ramban district lost multiple members in terror incidents, including mass killings in remote areas like Sumbal and Totar Dhar in 2001.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to both the Union Territory administration and the Central government for implementing a “zero tolerance” policy against militancy and ensuring long-pending cases were addressed.
Officials said the initiative aims to provide both financial stability and a sense of justice to families affected by terrorism, many of whom had been left without support for decades.(PTI)
