“Sufferings Of Terror Victim Families To End With Reopening Of Their Cases”
“Helplines, Legal Redressal System In Place For Property Restoration”
Srinagar: In a bold acknowledgment of past wrongs, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha last Sunday declared that the voices and struggles of families affected by terrorism in the region were systematically silenced for decades, as Pakistan-sponsored violence tore through communities and left thousands bereaved.
At a solemn event held in Baramulla, LG Sinha distributed appointment letters to 40 individuals from terror-affected families, promising them government jobs as part of a larger rehabilitation initiative. He vowed to reopen unregistered cases, investigate long-ignored crimes, and return properties that had been seized or encroached upon.
“The truth about these families was deliberately suppressed. No one came to wipe their tears,” Sinha told reporters after meeting several of the affected families.
The LG’s remarks marked a significant shift in the official stance toward terror victims, particularly those who remained invisible in public discourse. He accused past regimes and certain “conflict entrepreneurs” of creating a false narrative that glorified terrorists while sidelining those devastated by their violence.
“These so-called conflict entrepreneurs spent nearly three decades crafting a story that painted India as the aggressor and terrorists as victims,” Sinha said.
“That narrative has now collapsed. The real victims have spoken up, and the truth about Pakistan’s role in sponsoring terror stands exposed.”
Sinha shared emotionally charged accounts of families whose suffering was buried in bureaucratic indifference and political expediency. Among them was Wali Mohammad Lone from Baramulla, whose son was shot dead by terrorists in 1992, followed by the kidnapping and killing of his two other sons in 1993. Their bodies were never recovered.
In Kupwara, Raja Begum lost her entire immediate family—a husband, two sons, and a daughter—in a 1999 terror attack. She waited 26 years for acknowledgement or support.
“These are not isolated incidents,” Sinha said. “There are countless families like them, and we are committed to standing with each of them.”
He said helplines have been set up across all districts to gather information about such cases, even those dating back to the 1990s. Hundreds of complaints have already poured in, he noted, many involving unregistered killings, property encroachments, and home demolitions.
“The culprits will not be spared,” he asserted. “We will bring justice to those who were denied it for decades.” The LG reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fully rehabilitating the kin of those killed by terrorists, promising jobs, legal recourse, and the return of encroached lands and seized homes.
He stressed that senior officials, including the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, are directly supervising the implementation of these promises. The initiative, he said, will not be symbolic but structural—aimed at long-term healing and justice. “We will go door-to-door to identify and support every single affected family across Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. “This is not just about compensation; it is about dignity and recognition.”
In a significant announcement, LG Sinha said the government would also reopen and re-investigate cases related to the killings of Kashmiri Pandits by terrorists, which many allege were never properly probed.
“This is about ensuring that every community that suffered receives justice,” he said. “We will revisit every such case and deliver what was denied—truth and accountability.”
Sinha also warned of strict action against those who, under the guise of political or social work, continue to sustain the terror-ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.
“There are elements still working at the behest of Pakistan,” he said. “They will face the full force of law. We are determined to realize the dream of a terrorism-free Jammu and Kashmir.”
He revealed that some families of terrorists had previously been rewarded with government jobs, a practice that has now ended.
“Those who glorified violence and rewarded its perpetrators will no longer find space in the administration. We are identifying such individuals and removing them from service,” he said. “This administration stands with victims, not with those who perpetuated or benefited from terrorism.”
Calling it a turning point in the region’s history, LG Sinha said the current administration, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, is scripting a “golden chapter of peace and social justice” in Jammu and Kashmir. “Inclusive development, truth, and justice are now the new foundation of governance here,” he declared. He called upon citizens, civil society groups, and political leaders to extend their support to this effort to restore dignity to the long-neglected victims of violence. “Their stories must be heard, their suffering acknowledged, and their justice must not be delayed any longer,” he urged.
The Baramulla event saw the participation of several top officials, including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Principal Secretary (Home) Chandrakar Bharti, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, and Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Minga Sherpa. Members of the “Save Youth Save Future” Foundation, led by its chairman Wajahat Farooq Bhat, also attended the ceremony and extended their support to the administration’s outreach initiative. As the event concluded, the emotional weight of the day was unmistakable families who had waited for decades to be seen and heard were finally given a platform. With the new initiative gaining momentum, the Government’s next steps will be closely watched by those who hope that this time, justice won’t be denied.
As the event concluded, the emotional weight of the day was unmistakable families who had waited for decades to be seen and heard were finally given a platform. With the new initiative gaining momentum, the Government’s next steps will be closely watched by those who hope that this time, justice won’t be denied.
