'Our lives are at stake': Kashmiri Pandits get 5th threat letter in 2 months, demand safe housing
A fresh threat letter has alarmed Kashmiri Pandit employees in Kashmir, who are demanding immediate allotment of secure government housing and say they will begin a hunger strike on October 1 if their demand is not met.
by Syed Khalid Hussain · Zee NewsA fresh threat letter targeting Kashmiri Pandit employees in Kashmir has triggered new security concerns, with workers under the Prime Minister's employment package demanding immediate allotment of secure government housing. Employees say they will begin a hunger strike on October 1 if ready accommodation is not handed over by September 30, arguing that their lives and families' safety are at stake.
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New threat letter targets Kashmiri Pandit employees
The latest letter contains a photograph of Kashmiri Pandit protesters taken a day earlier and directly threatens the employees. It alleges that the demand for separate settlements is part of a plan to create a "state within a state" and claims that a "victim card" has been used since the 1990s.
The letter also warns that unless an apology is made to the people of Kashmir, even the Ministry of Home Affairs will be unable to protect the employees. Authorities have not publicly established the truth of the allegations made in the letter.
Following the threat, employees and administration officials held a meeting at a Pandit transit camp. The employees repeated their demand for secure accommodation and said they could no longer continue living with uncertainty over their safety.
Employees set September 30 deadline for safe accommodation
Amit, a Kashmiri Pandit employee, said repeated threats had changed how employees and their families viewed daily life in Kashmir.
"I feel that living in Kashmir has become a challenge for Kashmiri Pandits today. Given the way these threat letters are surfacing, every Kashmiri Pandit genuinely feels that the era of the 1990s has returned a sentiment that didn't exist before," he said.
He said employees would launch a hunger strike if their demand was not addressed by the deadline.
"On the 1st and this is the truth we won’t stage a standard protest; we will hold a silent protest a hunger strike. We will go on a hunger strike. Because our lives are at stake right now; we need government quarters at this moment a safer location," he said.
PM Package employees question delay in government quarters
The Prime Minister's employment package was introduced in 2008, with jobs and secure accommodation forming part of efforts connected to the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. According to the employees, 19 locations were identified for transit accommodation, but only four are occupied at present.
Employees claim several of the remaining buildings are close to completion and could already house hundreds of workers. They had raised the housing issue during a protest at Press Colony before the latest threat surfaced.
Another Kashmiri Pandit employee said, "We want to convey to the government just as we did during our visit to the Press Club yesterday that we urgently need possession of the safe accommodation promised to us. There are 39 blocks here, and almost all of them are complete; perhaps only the installation of lifts in 13 buildings remains pending. The government could easily shift us here, yet for reasons unknown, they are not providing the accommodation. We went to Press Colony to voice this plea, only to receive threats; we simply don't know how to escape this situation. A 'fear psychosis' certainly exists it hasn't just started; it has persisted since 1990, and we are still living with it," he said.
Employees describe fear but praise support from local colleagues
The employees said relations with their local colleagues remain warm and supportive. Their concern, they said, comes from repeated threats and the uncertainty surrounding their security outside protected areas.
One employee described the effect on families, "Right now, whenever we step out of our homes, it feels as though someone is following us; there is an atmosphere of intense fear. Our families' parents and relatives alike are deeply worried. We feel like we are living in a prison; that is the environment we are constantly facing. Look, officials including the Labor Commissioner and the engineer have visited us repeatedly. They keep saying there is only a little work left, just a bit more, but every time, we get a new date. At this rate, it feels like we’ll never get these quarters," he said.
He added, "When we step out of the house after work, a sense of fear lingers both for us and for our parents. That atmosphere of fear won't dissipate until our department takes our well-being into account. That said, the affection with which we were initially accepted and welcomed is still evident; it hasn't vanished. Our colleagues are incredibly supportive and caring the environment is truly like a family. However, when such threats suddenly arise, doubts creep in we wonder if they are real or merely false alarms. Naturally, fear sets in. While our colleagues reassure us that they stand by us and tell us not to be afraid, a family naturally feels anxious and unsure of what to do when a child faces such threats; right now, that sense of fear is intensifying for us."
Fifth threat letter in two months, employees say
Employees say the latest message is the fifth such letter in the past two months. Earlier letters allegedly contained personal information including names, phone numbers, home addresses in Jammu and vehicle registration numbers. They also warned employees of fatal consequences if they continued working in government jobs under the Prime Minister's Employment and Rehabilitation Package.
Some political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including leaders from the ruling National Conference, have questioned the timing or authenticity of some threat letters and raised the possibility of a political motive amid the debate over restoration of statehood.
Security agencies and the central government, however, are treating the threats seriously. Investigations are underway and security measures for Pandit employees in the Valley have been increased.
Agencies investigate digital trail behind threat letters
Authorities suspect that the outfit identified as "ULC" operates largely as a digital or online proxy used for intimidation and psychological pressure. Investigators are examining the digital trail behind the letters and looking into whether local contacts supplied employees' personal information to handlers operating from across the border.
For the employees, the immediate issue remains housing. They say completed government quarters should be allotted without further delay and the remaining buildings should be finished quickly. With September 30 set as their deadline, they say failure to act will lead to a hunger strike beginning October 1.
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