The focused killing of yet one more Kashmiri Pandit in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district triggered a contemporary spherical of protests within the Valley on Monday as political events hit out on the authorities for claiming normalcy has returned to the area, and members of the group demanded the removing of Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha.
A whole lot of Kashmiris turned out for the final rites of Sanjay Sharma, a Kashmiri Pandit and resident of Achan in Pulwama, who was fired upon by terrorists when he was on his strategy to an area market on Sunday. The 45-year-old, who labored as a financial institution safety guard, succumbed to accidents within the hospital.
A number of native residents helped Sharma’s household with the final rites. Safety was additionally tightened and a number of other high law enforcement officials, together with Vijay Kumar, further director normal of police (Kashmir Zone), visited and reviewed the prevailing regulation and order state of affairs within the space.
“I don’t wish to keep right here. I concern that they are going to kill me, too, tomorrow. Then the place will my three younger youngsters go? Who’s going to maintain us now?,” Sharma’s spouse Sunita mentioned.
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The Sharmas selected to remain again within the Valley and didn’t go away with the vast majority of Kashmiri Pandits that did so in 1990, following calls for his or her extermination by Pakistan-backed insurgents. The killing, the primary of a Pandit since October 2022, takes the variety of folks from the group which were killed since final yr to 5. As well as, eight migrant employees have been killed. All of the killings have been carried out by terror teams.
The Dogra Entrance – a Jammu-based organisation comprising social, non secular and political teams combating for the rights of the Dogras – held a protest in Pulwama, demanding justice and strict motion in opposition to the perpetrators.
“We’re protesting and demanding strict motion in opposition to the culprits concerned within the homicide of Pandit Sanjay Sharma. We request the L-G to arrest the accused,” an area resident mentioned, in search of anonymity.
One other resident, who additionally didn’t want to be named, mentioned: “We’ve all the time lived in unity in Jammu and Kashmir and at the moment we protest in opposition to the killing of Sanjay Sharma. It doesn’t matter what the faith or caste of the folks being killed is, justice should be served.”
The Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS), a outstanding Pandits’ physique within the Valley, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union dwelling minister Amit Shah to switch L-G Sinha.
“KPSS most humbly with folded palms request Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Residence Minister to relaxation their private agendas and self-conceit and take the problem critically and substitute the present Lt. Governor instantly for letting the Kashmiri Pandits to be killed by the militants for some vested agenda and vendetta to malign the ruling political celebration on the nationwide and worldwide stage,” it mentioned in an announcement.
It additionally mentioned that route ought to be issued “to provoke brutal operation in opposition to the militants and their aides to safeguard the lives of the innocents Kashmiri Pandits and different non secular minorities residing in Kashmir Valley.”
The federal government ought to “cease experimenting with the state of affairs in Kashmir and endangering the lives of Kashmiri Pandits and different non secular minorities residing” within the Valley, it mentioned.
Whereas the L-G’s media advisor, Yatish Yadav, didn’t reply to HT’s calls and messages on the matter, Sinha vowed to punish the perpetrators behind Sharma’s killing.
“It’s a particularly unlucky incident. No phrases are sufficient to sentence the killing. Whoever has carried out the act, our safety forces will maintain them,” he informed reporters.
He mentioned whereas such incidents can create doubts within the minds of the folks in regards to the safety state of affairs, the administration and safety forces have been working “with a 360 diploma strategy”.
Political events slammed the administration over the killing.
Peoples Democratic Social gathering (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti hit out on the authorities for claiming that normalcy has been restored within the Union territory.
“The federal government claims to have ended militancy. If that have been the case, who killed him (Sharma)? What’s the authorities doing?” she mentioned after visiting Sharma’s residence.
“The federal government ought to present a job to his widow. Many members of the group are working right here, they need to be given correct safety, in any other case they are going to flee this place,” she added.
The BJP additionally condemned the killing and held protests in Srinagar and north Kashmir’s Baramulla city.
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J&Ok BJP president Ravinder Raina visited the deceased’s home together with celebration leaders Sofi Yousuf and Altaf Thakur and guaranteed the household of help from the administration. “His (Sharma’s) killing is brutal and an enormous sin that must be condemned,” he mentioned.
In December, the house ministry informed Parliament that 9 Kashmiri Pandits have been killed within the Valley since 2020 – one in 2020 and 4 every in 2021 and 2022 – in focused assaults.
Practically 4,000 Kashmiri Pandits are employed in several authorities departments within the Valley after their choice beneath the Prime Minister’s employment package deal, in response to the native administrations. In view of the focused killings, in November, the staff staged a protest exterior the Jammu reduction commissioner’s workplace for a number of days, in search of their relocation out of the Valley.
(With company inputs)