Srinagar: A group of Kashmiri Pandit employees, who were given jobs under a prime minister’s package for the community, Wednesday began preparations for “mass migration” out of Kashmir, protesting against a series of targeted killings of non-Muslim employees by militants.
The group said they were meeting truck-owners Wednesday to negotiate a rate for transporting their goods.
Hours after a female teacher was shot dead by militants in Kulgam district, an organisation of KP employees had threatened to leave the Valley if the government did not relocate them to safer places in 24 hours.
“We have come to fix the rate with truck-owners. Let’s see if any decision comes from the government by this evening. If not, then we will migrate from here tomorrow,” one of their representatives said here Wednesday.
“We have decided that if the government does not take any concrete steps for us (safety) within 24 hours, there will be mass migration again,” one of the employees said here.
He said the target killing of Kashmiri Pandits is continuing and the community is now tired of making appeals with the government.
“We should be relocated so that we can be saved. Our delegation had met the LG earlier and we had asked him to save us. We are asking for temporary relocation for two to three years till the situation in the valley returns to normal. It is the same time-frame put by IGP Kashmir for making Kashmir terrorism-free,” he added.
Umesh Talashi, a National Conference leader from south Kashmir, hit out at the BJP for the present situation.
“Back to 1990, #KashmiriPandits out fixing the rates with truck drivers for shifting their base to Jammu after back to back target killings in #Kashmir. Another exodus on cards. #BJP missed to mention this while showcasing their 8 years of achievements yesterday!!” Talashi tweeted.
