Between death and duty Kashmiri Pandits struggle for survival

Despite the government's efforts to pacify the Kashmiri Pandit community living in the Kashmir Valley, the protest by the community members still continue across various districts. While the government assured the Kashmiri Pandit community that all job and security related issues will be resolved in a week's time, the community demands transfer from the Kashmir region as early as possible, saying that they can't risk their life for jobs.

The main demand of the protesting Kashmiri Pandits is that till the situation in the Kashmir Valley is not normal, they should be relocated to Jammu and if they do not do so, they have only the option of redesign.

Anil, a Kashmiri Pandit employee has been sitting on protests every day since the killing of Rahul Bhat. He urged the government to save their lives and transfer all Kashmiri Pandits working in the Valley.

Anil said that his Muslim colleagues have been helpful and always stood by him despite that she is scared for his life. While talking to Free Press Journal, anil cried saying “our lives need to be saved.”

My heart is broken, and we have returned to the valley only after assurance by the Government. We did not come here to die. I along with my family are afraid and clueless about what to do ahead. Our parents have struggled to send us to educational institutions and make us independent, but they didn't send us here to die. They want the children to be happy and not get their dead bodies,'' said Anil.

The government on the other hand has assured the Pandit community that steps would be taken to resolve their problems within a week.

"All the service-related issues of the Kashmiri Pandit community, like posting in remote areas, or couples posted at two different areas, providing them accommodation or promotions will be solved as soon as possible. We have already started working on it,'' said divisional commissioner Kashmir P K Pole.

The Kashmiri Pandit community on the other hand have told the government that if they are not shifted outside the Kashmir region, they will resign from their jobs.

In the past eight months, suspected militants have attacked several members of religious minorities and migrant workers in Kashmir.

Kashmiri Pandits hold placards as they take part in a sit in protest against the killing of Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat a government employee, in Srinagar.

In October last year, suspected militants had killed seven civilians in five days. Of these, four belonged to Hindu or Sikh communities in the Valley. Three others were Kashmiri Muslims.