Govt has failed in protecting us, only gave false hopes: KP employees

Kashmiri Pandits staging protest in Srinagar. -Excelsior/Shakeel
Kashmiri Pandits staging protest in Srinagar. -Excelsior/Shakeel

Feel vulnerable, seek relocation to safer places

Excelsior Correspondent

Srinagar, May 14: The Kashmiri Pandit employees appointed under PM Package today said that the administration has failed in protecting them and that over the years they have been only given false hopes and promises while seeking immediate relocation to safer places.
Scores of employees today appeared in Partap Park, Press Enclave in Srinagar and said that they are feeling dismayed and are living a life full of threats and humiliation.

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“With profound grief and anger, we PM package employees appointed for various supernumerary posts under CBMs in 2010 and onwards, are still living as deportees, unsettled, unsecured; now almost 12 years in a row,” the protesting employees said.
They said that they are working in different departments across the Valley and are feeling insecure.
“PM package employment policy has completely failed as a policy at all levels and has only multiplied our woes and vulnerabilities. We are doing our job at the cost of our lives even as we recently witnessed the killing of a PM package employee, Rahul Bhat at Budgam, under a full proof security cover as claimed by the UT Govt and its authorities down the line,” they said.
The employees demanded repealing of the “unconstitutional bond” which, they said, were forced to sign at the time of joining their services for the survival apart from relocation to the safest, terror-free places outside the Kashmir division.
The employees said that they believe it is a complete failure of administration which has resulted in the toll on the lives of the innocent PM package employees.
“With a lot of false assurances, lip service that we package employees received from every government, politician and administrators for last 12 years, we are now highly disappointed and engulfed with uncertainties and continuous life threats,” the protesting employees said.
An employee who identified himself as Vikas told media persons here that they will not be able to work in the present circumstances and that the Government should take necessary steps regarding our safety.
Another women employee said that she is feeling vulnerable and is not sure about her safety. “Who knows who will end up killing me; it is just not safe here,” she said.
The KP employees said that they feel trapped rather than in a job due to wrong and inhumane policies of the Government where, they said, there is no special flexibility in norms so to give it a humanitarian touch and thought which in turn could render some relief to hapless PM package employees who saw 32 year-long gloom full life post-migration.
“We feel we are children of lesser God. After joining the package on the assurance of Government we feel unfortunate as we have been deprived of our basic right to take care of our helpless, old and ailing parents at Jammu,” they said.
While addressing the Government, the employees said that the Government of India must accept in writing that the rehabilitation policy has completely failed. “The UT administration, previously elected Governments, have completed failed in providing a safe and secure environment to us,” they said.