Srinagar: Kashmiri Pandits continued their protests on Saturday on 10th death straight day after the killing of a government employees Rahul Bhat inside his office at Chadoora in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district
Witnesses said hundreds of Kashmir Pandits staged strong protests on Saturday in different parts of Kashmir valley during which they shouted slogans like “We’re not cannon fodder”, alleging that the Centre was pushing the community’s rehabilitation in the Valley by glossing over their safety when there’s no let-up in targeted killings.
Chanting slogans they demanded an end to the targeted killings of the members of the Pandit community. The protesters said that their only demand is to relocate them from Kashmir as they don’t feel safe here.
Earlier Pandits living in other transit camps located at Nutnusa in Kupwara, Tulmulla in Ganderbal, Hall in Pulwama, Khanpur in Baramulla, Mattan in Anantnag and Vessu in Kulgam have made similar demands.
Over 4000 Kashmiri Pandits are living in transit camps in various parts of Kashmir after they were given government jobs under a special employment package launched in 2010.
Pertinently, targetted killings in Kashmir started in October last year and victims were mostly migrant workers and Kashmiri Pandits. In October, seven civilians were killed in five days, among them a Kashmiri Pandit, a Sikh and two migrant Hindus.