Facing pressure to rejoin duty in Valley, say protesting Kashmiri Pandit, Dalit employees

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, June 26

Kashmiri Pandit and Dalit employees, who have been protesting in Jammu demanding their posting out of Kashmir after a spate of targeted killings, say they are being pressurised by seniors for rejoining their duties in Kashmir. Amid killings by terrorists, mostly of Hindus in Kashmir, several employees had fled the Valley a few weeks ago. The process of fleeing sped up after terrorists gunned down a teacher, Rajni Bala, at her school in Kulgam on May 31 and a banker, Vijay Kumar, on June 2.

Employees are holding protests almost every day in front of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner’s office at Canal Road in Jammu. Dharnas are being staged also at the Press Club office in Jammu.

No solution yet

The government is silent. It has offered no concrete solution till now. The employees must be transferred to Jammu. —Ranjan Joshi, Protester

Seniors forcing staff

Pressure is being built on staff. Our seniors are asking us to report to work. They claim that the Valley situation is now fine. —A teacher posted in Anantnag

Ranjan Joshi, who has been leading the protest in Jammu, said the government was silent and had not budged even after repeated demonstrations. “There is no concrete solution that has been offered by the government till now. The employees, who are under threat in Kashmir, must be transferred to Jammu,” he said.

A teacher posted in Anantnag and protesting in Jammu, who did not wish to be named, said the government was building pressure on the staff protesting in Jammu to rejoin their duties in Kashmir. “Our seniors are asking us to report to work. They claim that the situation is now fine in the Valley,” he said.

Recently, non-local employees of Ellaquai Dehati Bank, who fled the Valley after its branch manager was shot dead on June 2 in Kulgam, were served ultimatum to rejoin their duties. Employees say the HR section of the bank sent an email to staff members on June 14, asking the protesters to report at their places of posting.

Apni Party’s Jammu provincial president and former minister Manjit Singh also demanded transfer of the employees from the reserved category, currently posted in the Valley. They should be posted in Jammu till the security situation improves, he added.

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