Kashmiri pandits and other Hindus flock to Srinagar airport

Amid targeted killings of Kashmiri pandits and Hindus in the valley over the last few months, a heavy rush of non-locals including Kashmiri pandits and other Hindus flocked to the Srinagar Airport today to leave the valley.

Heavy rush of Non locals, kp employees, other Hindus employed in private sector at the Srinagar Airport just now. This is post Vijay Kumar from Rajasthan, who got married just 40 days ago, was shot at and killed right in his office this morning in Kulgam. pic.twitter.com/Yag2LuKMXs

— Khushboo Mattoo (@MattLaemon) June 2, 2022

A sudden rush to the airport came in the wake of the targeted killing of Vijay Kumar, a bank official, from Rajasthan.

Vijay Kumar was married just 40 days ago and was shot at and killed in his office this morning in Kulgam by terrorists.

Earlier in May, Rajni Bala, a school teacher,  who was rehabilitated under Prime Minister Rehabilitation scheme for Kashmiri Pandits, was shot dead by terrorists inside the school premise only in Kulgam.

Following the killing of a migrant teacher in south Kashmir's Kulgam district, the School Education Department has directed the Chief Education Officers (CEOs) of the Kashmir division to post non—Muslim employees of the department at safe places.

In view of increased threat perception, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday decided to immediately post Kashmiri migrants employed under the Prime Minister's special package and other employees belonging to the Jammu division in "secured locations'' in the Valley by June 6.

The targeted killing of Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus once again started recently with the cold-blooded killing of Rahul Bhat, a government employee posted in the district administration in Kulgam. 

Huge uproar, demonstrations, and protests are still being held by relatives and communities of Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Hindus in both Kashmir and the Jammu region. With Kashmiri pandits and the Hindu community demanding transfer and posting to home districts.

Assembled under the banner of ‘All Jammu-based reserved categories employees association’, the protesters said they will not resume their duties as the government has “failed” to stop targeted killings and provide a secure atmosphere for 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. We are serving there for the last 15 years but are feeling insecure and tense in view of the spurt in the targeted killings,” Ramesh Chand, a teacher posted in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, told reporters.