Failure of Authorities to protect Minorities in Kashmir - KPSS Letter to Chief Justice High Court of J&K

KASHMIRI PANDIT SANGARASH SAMITI
SathuBarbar Shah, Srinagar, Kashmir (JLK) – 190001
e-mail: kpss.kashmir[at]gmail.com

Dated: 01.06.2022

Most Urgent / Most Important

Hon’ble The Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Srinagar

Subject:

Article 21 - Right to Life - representation for kind intervention and taking cognizance on the issue related to killing of Religious Minorities living in Kashmir Valley who are becoming victim of Terrorism and failure of UT | Central Administration.

Esteemed / Hon’ble Sir,

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIP,

Keeping in view the urgency and importance of the matter, the applicant with reference to the subject cited above takes liberty to submit few lines for your Hon’ble Lordships perusal and kind intervention, being a matter related to the protection of life and survival, which are enumerated as under:

That in the year 1990, due to political turmoil and armed insurgency induced by one of the neighboring Countries through some fractions from the Majority Community, Kashmiri Pandits / Hindus living in Kashmir Valley were targeted and killed in order to create fear for life in the minuscule minority which led to the mass migration of the Kashmiri Pandits / Hindus from the Valley and as per the Government Census conducted in the year 2009, only 808 Kashmiri Pandit / Hindu families were living in the Valley stayed back and faced all sorts of odds for survival.

After nearly 20 years in the year 2010, a process of rehabilitation was initiated. In the process, Kashmiri Migrants (Migrant Kashmiri Pandits / Hindus) were given jobs and accommodation so that they could come and stay in Kashmir Valley, but, in the year 2020 a new spree of target killings started and the fear has increased many folds among the members of the Religious Minorities living in Kashmir Valley including those who never left Valley in the even after 1990 mass migration.

On the one hand, every member of the Religious Minority is under direct threat from the terrorists operating in Kashmir Valley, and on the other hand, the UT / Central Administration has failed to secure the life of Religious Minorities staying in Kashmir Valley. Nearly twelve attacks have been done on the local Religious Minorities living in Kashmir Valley apart from those who came to Kashmir for their bread and butter.

On 08.06.2020, Shri Ajay Pandita (Bharti) who was a Sarpanch in one of the Villages in District Anantnag was killed and from then till 31.05.2022 nearly 12 persons from the local Religious Minority were attacked out of which 11 died and one was severely injured. Copy of the list of victims is enclosed herewith as Annexure - I.

Apart from target killing number of threat posters and letters stand issued by the terrorist organization operating in Kashmir Valley in which it has been clearly warned that they will kill Religious Minorities specifically Kashmiri Pandits / Hindus who are living in Kashmir Valley. Copy of the some of threat posters and letters are enclosed herewith as Annexure-II.

From 12.05.2022, the Kashmiri Pandits / Hindus are on protest in Kashmir Valley against the killings of the Religious Minorities in Kashmir Valley but the Government failed to protect these lives as on 31.05.2022 another employee from Religious Minority was killed by the terrorist in Kulgam District causing more fear and panic in the Religious Minority Community in the Kashmir Valley.

That the Kashmiri Pandits / Hindus want to leave Kashmir Valley but the Government is not allowing them to leave which can be gathered from the press/news reports and social media statements. The government blocked the roads, used electric currents to barricade the walls of the transit camps, the main doors of the transit camps are closed from outside with locks and similar reports have been seen in the recent past from few days even today i.e. 01.06.2022 also. Copy of the some of the reports is enclosed herewith as Annexure - III.

KASHMIRI PANDIT SANGARASH SAMITI