Following the latest targeted killings of a Kashmiri Pandit in Shopian on Tuesday, Kashmir Pandits Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS), an organisation that represents the non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits living in Kashmir, has requested Kashmiri Pandits to leave Kashmir.
“With another attack on Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, the militants have made it clear that they are going to kill all the Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir,” Sanjay Tickoo, president of KPSS, said in a statement.
Tickoo said the irony is that the local overground workers (OGWs) of the militants work with them (militants) to kill their neighbours.
“Kashmir is a place where tourists are safe and no attacks were there during the Amarnath yatra,’’ he said. “But non-Muslims, particularly the Kashmiri Pandits, are vulnerable.”
He said the judiciary and the government have failed miserably to protect Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir, as such KPSS is appealing to all the Kashmiri Pandits to leave Kashmir and don’t fall for the sugar-coated statements from Kashmiri society.
“No Kashmiri Pandits are safe in Kashmir. For Kashmiri Pandits the only option left is to leave Kashmir or get killed by religiously fanatic minds who have the support of the local population,’’ he said.
This morning brothers Sunil Kumar and Pintu Kumar, sons of Arjun Nath Kumar, were shot at by militants at Chotigam. Sunil died on the spot while Pintoo was injured.
It was the second attack on the minority community in 24 hours. On Monday evening, a minority community member was injured in a grenade attack by militants at Gopalpora in Budgam district.
Altaf Thakur, the spokesman of the BJP in Kashmir, has condemned the attack.
“Strongly condemn the dastardly act of terror on innocent minority community members, in which one minority community member Sunil Kumar, was killed and another injured,’’ Thakur said in a statement.
The targeted killing of Kashmiri Pandits has emerged as a security challenge for the security forces after the revocation of Article 370. Since August 5, 2019, seven Kashmiri Pandits have been killed in targeted attacks by militants.
In May, the militants killed Rahul Bhat at Tehsil office Chadoora in Budgam. Bhat, whose family had migrated in the 90s, was employed in the revenue department under the Prime Minister Relief and Rehabilitation package for migrant Kashmiri Pandits to resettle in the Valley.
His killings sparked a widespread protest by Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu community members from Jammu working under the PM's package.
The protest continued for several days, and many PM package employees fled to Jammu. Bhat’s killing was followed by the killing of a bank manager from Rajasthan in Kulgam and a female teacher from Jammu’s Samba. The killings exacerbated the crisis facing the PM package employees and other non-locals working in Kashmir. The government then ordered a slew of measures for the PM package employees, including posting them in the district headquarters, expediting their promotions and seniority list separately from the other government employees and beefing up the security around the residential camps of PM package employees.
