R. S. Gill
Jammu Tawi, Dec 26:
The agitating Kashmiri Pandit employees and Jammuite employees working in Kashmir
valley get a new impetus to their demands with Central Minister in PMO Jitendra Singh
supporting them by advising the Centre's nominee the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu
Kashmir to address their issues with sensitivities. The Minister who was on a visit to Jammu
said, “Human life is precious and invaluable and even if a single life is at stake, a dozen
offices can be shut,” adding that the issue be resolved with all sensitivities.
What the Union Minister told media is in total contradiction to what the LG, Manoj Sinha
declared on December 21 in a function at Jammu, “Which office will function or shut is to be
decided by the Administration and its not for others to tell. They (agitating employees) have
been given sufficient breathing time (after the killing incidents) and now they cannot be paid
salaries sitting at homes since they are the Kashmir Division employees and cannot be
brought to Jammu. We have agreed to most of their demands and made ample administrative
and security arrangements for them. We have also constituted a committee to suggest some
workable solution to the issue. They should understand the message loud and clear.”
By supporting the agitating employees, the Minister in PMO has joined the stream of political
leaders like Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and others who have been questioning the
Administrative claims of a better security situation in the valley.
The Democratic Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina and
Apni Party's Altaf Bukhari also supported the demand of the protesting employees for their
adjustment for the time being within Jammu Division keeping in view the security threat to
their lives in Kashmir.
Some political observers attributed the respective stands taken on the employees' security by
the opposition leaders to their politics, they, however, are amused at the timing of the
Minister's open comments which in a way held the LG's Administration insensitive by
saying “iss Vishaye ko Samvedhensheelta se address kiya jana chahiye.” While supporting a
public cause is fine, however, such public comments by the union minister in PMO against
the LG's stand would further isolate the latter in eyes of people. A question being discussed –
Is the minister genuinely concerned for the agitating employees or is there some suppressed
feeling that prompted the Minister for his public comments on the functioning of the LG's
Administration remains a question open to speculation?
The LG's Administration, virtually the Central rule in Jammu Kashmir, is now up against
sympathies and support from various political quarters including those on the right side of
power, which could be instrumental in building considerable pressure on LG Manoj Sinha to
walk step further towards some amicable solution in wake of upcoming G20 event in
Kashmir.
The offsprings of Kashmiri Pandit migrants appointed under the Prime Minister's
Employment Package and locals of Jammu province appointed against reserved posts in
Kashmir, have been facing the terrorists' onslaught of targeted killings. Kashmir valley has
been witnessing a series of targeted killings since October last year. Many of the victims have
been migrant workers, Kashmiri Pandits and other Hindus.
In October last year, there were back-to-back killings of seven civilians in five days – the
victims were a Kashmiri Pandit, a Sikh, and two migrant Hindus. In May, terrorists shot dead
36-year-old Rahul Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit employee in his Office in Budgam. The fresh
spate of killings triggered a wave of protests by the minority community questioning the
central government of pushing them as fodder for terrorists.
The fear forced these employees to flee their places of postings across the Kashmir valley
thereby putting a question mark on the prevailing security situation as against the claims of
the Centre and local administration. The employees have been holding protest demonstrations
for the last few months in the town and their latest venue of protest is BJP's Headquarter at
Trikuta Nagar Jammu which coincidently is situated in front of the Minister's bungalow.
The contradictory perceptions about the security situation in Kashmir have and will shake the
confidence of the people over the claims and counter-claims about the restoration of peace in
the valley.
