The summer is gone and the winter is all in. But the protests in Jammu by the Kashmiri Pandits hired under the Prime Minister Employment package continue and turn more aggressive with every passing day. Day in and out, the government assures them all their genuine demands will be heard and addressed.
But all they want to be shifted from sensitive places to safer locations following the deadly attacks on the community during the year. The safest place they believe is right now Jammu only. They refuse to join duties and continue to sit in Jammu. But their concerns are very genuine and face security threats in Kashmir.
Government over the years have failed to protect their lives with some of them being shot dead in cold blood. Under such circumstances, how can they trust the regime of the day and rejoin their places of posting. They met people in the powerful corridors and they pleaded their cases with the people who have been doing round the clock politics over the community. They have assured them safe havens where they can live and work with dignity.
But the present trend seems quite disturbing with these employees falling easy prey to terrorist attacks. Debate over the normalcy can be set for another day. Politics can also be done on dozens of other issues.
Human lives deserve to be protected and safeguarded. So the government in Delhi and LG Manoj Sinha administration in Jammu Kashmir must wake up to the genuine concerns of the community and provide them what they deserve.
Any further delay may harm the politics of BJP in particular and damage the image of the Union government in general. It is the BJP that spoke for the community and made tall claims in the recent past for their dignified return and rehabilitation.
