Not Being Allowed To Leave Valley, Kashmiri Pandits Org Moves J&K HC

KPSS chief Sanjay K Tickoo claimed that the Hindus in Kashmir weren't being allowed to leave the Valley by the govt.

The Kashmir Pandit Sangarash Samiti (KPSS) has sought the intervention of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court to direct the government to relocate all religious minorities living in Kashmir to a safer place outside the Valley.

(Photo: IANS)

The Kashmir Pandit Sangarash Samiti (KPSS) has sought the intervention of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court to direct the government to relocate all religious minorities living in Kashmir to a safer place outside the Valley.

KPSS chief Sanjay K Tickoo cited media reports and claimed that the Hindus in Kashmir wanted to leave the Valley but weren't being allowed to do so by the government.

The Kashmir Valley is in the midst of another surge of militant attacks as 10 people, including civilians – locals and non-locals – and security personnel, have been killed since 7 May.

On Thursday, 2 June, hours after the killing of a banker from Rajasthan in Kulgam, two non-local labourers were shot at in Magraypora in the Chadoora area of central Kashmir's Budgam district, with one of them later succumbing to his injuries.

Tickoo Writes to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh HC Chief Justice

Tickoo informed that he had petitioned the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh through an email, invoking Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life. Tickoo also said he had sought several other measures, including relocating religious minorities from Kashmir.

"The UT/Central government be directed to move/relocate religious minorities living in Kashmir valley outside Kashmir valley as the religious minorities are under direct threat from the terrorists," his email read.

Tickoo said that the attacks on religious minorities first started in June 2020, when Ajay Pandita, a sarpanch in Anantnag, was killed.

"From then, till 31 May 2022, 12 persons of local religious minorities were attacked out of which 11 died," he said while referring to the recent killings of government employee Rahul Bhat and teacher Rajni Bala.

Tickoo further said that the government wasn't allowing Hindus to leave Kashmir, "which can be gathered from the press news reports and social media statements."

He requested the high court to summon the concerned officials, asking them to explain the policy and mechanism adopted to guarantee the safety of religious minorities.

Tickoo also called for an investigation into the alleged transfer of some "blue-eyed" people, who had been employed under the prime minister's package, days before Rahul Bhat's killing on 12 May.

Tickoo claimed that this indicated that some people in the administration had an idea that the situation in Kashmir was going to worsen. However, Tickoo told PTI that he had not yet received any response from the high court.

Amit Shah Holds High-Level Meet

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, 3 June, held a high-level meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, and other key officials, to discuss the situation in the Valley.

Scores of the Kashmiri Pandits, who were employed under a prime minister's package in 2012, have been staging continuous protests threatening mass exodus since the killing of Rahul Bhat.

(With inputs from PTI.)

(Since you have taken an interest in reading about Kashmir, I have a request for you. The Quint has been working on a documentary regarding the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. We would be grateful if you could support our upcoming special project, 'Uprooted - Stories of Kashmiri Pandits' - Anthony S Rozario, Associate Editor, Special Projects.)