Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 4: Amid unabated targeted killings of minorities in Kashmir, a large number of Government employees posted in the valley today took out a march here demanding their immediate transfer to their respective home districts.
The protestors were carrying placards in support of their demand and pictures of their colleague Rajni Bala, a school teacher who was shot dead by terrorists at a school in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, few days ago. The protest march was carried out from Press Club and then employees sat on dharna at Dogra Chowk disrupting movement of traffic for some time.
Most of the employees were from reserved categories and others Kashmir Pandits appointed in Kashmir. The protestors said they will not resume their duties as the UT Government has “failed” to stop targeted killings and provide a secure atmosphere to them. Nearly 8,000 employees from different districts of Jammu are working in Kashmir under inter-district transfer policy and we are not going to return and resume our duties in the present atmosphere. They said many employees are serving there for the last about 12-15 years but are feeling insecure in view of the spurt in the targeted killings.
“We are frustrated by the deteriorating security situation as nobody, including Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs are safe there. Anyone can become a victim of terrorists anytime,” one of the employees said and referred to the latest killing of Bank Manager Vijay Kumar from Rajasthan in Kulgam district.
“There is no safer place in the valley and we are not ready to accept the government proposal of relocation within the valley,” another protesting employee said adding they have never faced any problem from the locals.
He said if the Government can abolish decades old Article 370, what stops them from making minor changes in the transfer policy and relocating them to their home districts.
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