Situation in Kashmir totally grave
Ritesh Gupta
JAMMU, May 25: Terming Kashmir situation totally grave, noted film maker and well known social activist, Ashok Pandit today demanded immediate relocation of PM package employees outside the Valley.
In an Exclusive interview to Excelsior Pandit linked the killing of PM package employee Rahul Bhat with the killings of senior BJP leader, Tika Lal Taploo, Pt Prem Nath Bhat, Session Judge, Neelkant Ganjoo and former Director Door Darshan, Lasa Koul who were gunned down in 1989 and 1990 by the terrorists in Valley. He said the pattern of selective killings this time is same as was in 1989-90 and there is no change in it.
Pandit who returned from Kashmir tour to ascertain the situation there said that the package employees have been made hostages in Kashmir and they were put in concentrated camps. The terrorists whenever like to kill any one they will do it easily without any threat or fear. These employees were put in big trap by previous Congress Government through this package which sought a bond from the hapless youth who were idle and have no source of living after being hounded out from the Valley by terrorists and their over ground sympathisers, he added.
He said since then they were victims of official and administrative apathy and they faced discrimination, humiliation and torture at every level and were being treated as second class citizens. What can be more apathy towards them that the husband and wife employed under the same package were put indifferent districts and their plea of posting in the same districts were not only turned down by their officers but they were subjected to lot of humiliation and curses, he added.
It is a pity that those at the helm of affairs instead of looking into the issues and problems of these hapless employees supported the officers concerned and no body from district administration up to Civil Secretariat level heard their pleas patiently to show some sort of sympathy with them.
Pandit urged Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha to take immediate steps in relocating these 5000 employees to Jammu region and don’t keep them in museums to show the country and world that situation has returned to normalcy in Kashmir by making these employees as sacrificial goats. He warned that in case any more employee of the community was killed the LG administration will be solely responsible for that.
He also expressed serious concern over appointment of martyr Rahul Bhat’s wife on class four post and sanctioning only Rs five lakh as ex-gratia which he said is an insult to the martyr. His wife should be given a respectable job as her husband was killed because he was Indian. The Government is duty bound to give confidence to the family.
Pandit said that a wrong notion has been created that the situation is limping to normalcy in Kashmir and tourists in large numbers are visiting there. He also rubbished the statements of Dr Farooq Abdullah president NC, Mehbooba Mufti president, PDP and Leftists that the situation turned worst after screening of Kashmir Files. If it was so there was no Kashmir Files in 1989 and 90 why the KPs were killed and forced to leave Valley. These pseudo secularists are hoodwinking people by their statements, he added.
Pandit said it is terrorism supported by Pakistan that is responsible for killing of the people in Kashmir while lambasting the Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal for making a satire in Delhi Assembly over the Film. He alleged that the Leftists, Farooq Abdullah and others are responsible for genocide of Pandits.
Pandit however gave all kudos to Jammu people for showing solidarity with Pandits and standing with them during their last 32 years of displacement. “They really gave a lot of sacrifice in protecting our community”, he added.
The filmmaker said that he is seriously thinking to make a documentary on the people living under fear psychosis during last 32 years of terrorism and the Government should stop talking about return of normalcy in Kashmir. He also showed concern over failure of Government in not concentrating on the development of Jammu and alleged that all funds are diverted to Kashmir even during the present regime.
He also made a dig at BJP leadership of Jammu for having lost contact with the masses at ground level and giving wrong inputs to Central leadership. He however lauded the steps taken by Modi Government in weeding out terrorism and said there is lot of difference between previous governments and present regime as they have given free hand to security forces. But this is not enough as white collar terrorism still prevails in Kashmir which is more dangerous than gun terrorism. This is an old cancer which needs immediate surgery.
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