Revoke bond or won't join duty, warn Kashmiri Pandits

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, June 4

A day after hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit families left the transit camps in the Valley after a spate of targeted killings, the migrant employees today said they won’t join their duty till the J&K Administration revoked the bond, which makes their positing in the Valley mandatory.

The fresh migration has put the administration in a tight spot as it faces an uphill task to relocate the employees to Jammu region.

Key provisions

• Bond makes it mandatory for KPs to serve in Kashmir
• If they seek transfer, their services shall be terminated
• Further, they shall have no claim against any post
• 4,500 KPs appointed under PM’s relief plan since 2010
• Majority of Pandit employees left Valley amid a spate of fresh targeted killings

Talking to The Tribune, Vikas Hangloo, a migrant employee, said, “Until the administration relocates us outside the Valley and revokes the unconstitutional bond, we won’t join our duties. We are being exploited. Our lives are at stake.”

Under the PM’s Rehabilitation Package for migrant Kashmiri Pandits, the employees have to sign a bond as per which they shall be terminated from service if they seek transfer from the Valley for any reason at any stage. “The selectee agrees that in case he/she migrates from Kashmir for any reason, he/she will be automatically terminated from the service and shall have no claim against any post,” reads the bond, a copy of which is with The Tribune.

Since 2010, over 4,500 employees have been appointed under the PM’s scheme. A majority of the Pandit employees have left the Valley amid a spate of fresh targeted killings. “The situation is much worse than the 2010 summer unrest or 2016 when Burhan Wani was killed. We were feeling safe until recently, but now there is an atmosphere of fear,” said Ashwani Sadhu, another employee who left Kashmir two days ago. Meanwhile, the BJP took strong objection to the release of the list of Kashmiri Pandit employees who have been transferred and demanded action against the officials responsible for the leak, terming it a breach of security.

According to the list, 177 Pandit teachers employed under the PM’s relief package have been transferred. The list is being circulated on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

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