The incidents of violence against the Kashmiri pandits who were posted, or were living, lately in various valley districts, have dismantled the sense of security for them and the same calls for more focused measures to be taken for ensuring they gain what they have lost—a sense of security with comfort. For that, the administration needs to ensure that works on all the transit accommodations across Kashmir are completed well in time without any delay. The issue of putting in place transit accommodations for these workers has also been brought up in the Parliament and even the standing committee expressed dismay over the delay in the execution of the same.
There is a hope that this time there will be no delays of any sort and the Government will take additional measures for the safety and security of the KP employees. As these employees have got no other way but to return to their places of posting, the administration must ensure stepped-up security measures in the areas where they are currently putting up as well as the departments where they are discharging their duties. Whenever these employees are transferred, here and there, it needs to be ensured that the transfer orders are not made public and they are not made vulnerable at any cost.
The administration is no doubt doing everything possible to bring things back to normal; make the KP employees feel at home—all over again—ensuring that the safety and other logistic measures are in place so that the element of fear which has now become, in a way, a permanent part of their lives, is gradually shunted out. To shunt that element of fear out, the onus lies on the LG-led administration which has to see to it that these employees—including those who are not even in the Government services, feel safe and secure. There has to be a process—comprising of a detailed plan, targeting to place these employees back in the society—which needs to be followed in letter and spirit because KPs are an inseparable part of Kashmiri society: making them feel and realise that is first, the prime responsibility of the Government, and second, the duty of the people of the majority community—both have to play their roles.
