'Give us keys or we go on hunger strike': Kashmiri Pandit hold silent protest in Srinagar, demand secure housing amid LeT terror threats

Kashmiri Pandit employees protest in Srinagar over delayed secure housing and warn of an indefinite hunger strike after September 30 amid fresh terror threats.

Kashmiri Pandit employees under the Prime Minister’s Package held a silent protest in Srinagar on Wednesday, demanding secure government accommodation amid fresh terror threats. Employees living in rented houses said the lack of security has increased their fear and stress. They gave the administration until September 30 to allot completed transit units or face an indefinite hunger strike, escalating pressure on authorities.

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Representatives of the employees gathered at Press Colony and said that about 3,500 of their colleagues are still living in rented accommodation across the Valley. They said many private houses do not have proper security.

The employees also alleged that several transit buildings are complete, but possession has not been handed over to them. They said repeated government assurances and deadlines have failed to resolve the issue.

Employees demand possession of completed buildings

Ashish Razdan, a Kashmiri Pandit employee, said the demand for safe accommodation has continued for years. He said employees have been waiting since 2010 and questioned why completed buildings have not been opened.

He said, “Our major demand is something we have been raising with the government for years. We have been here since 2010, it has been 16 years and we still have not been provided safe accommodation. We have been given deadline after deadline: first April, then May, June, July, August, and now the administration has given us September-end as the deadline. I don’t understand why, when some of the buildings are already complete, we cannot be given possession of them. Out of the 39 buildings, 26 are ready for occupation. Why can’t we be shifted to these buildings immediately? Construction on the remaining buildings can continue alongside."

"September 30 is our deadline. If our demand is not addressed by then, we will be forced to go on hunger strike. Every time a threat letter is issued against us, the stress is immense. Today, we have gathered to come out and speak to the media,” he added.

The employees said several buildings have received the required clearances, but the handover process remains stalled. They said the government is providing security, but their immediate concern is safe accommodation following a series of threat letters.

Fresh threat letters raise security concerns

Barkha, a Kashmiri Pandit employee, said the employees have waited for years for accommodation in transit camps. She said the recent threats have added to their concerns and called for completed buildings to be opened immediately.

“We have gathered here because we have been waiting for accommodation in the transit camps for years. The government has been assuring us that we will be accommodated, but nothing has happened so far. Now, with these fresh threat letters coming in, our concerns have increased. Our demand is very simple: the buildings that are already ready should be opened and we should be shifted there immediately. it will also be easier for the government to provide us with proper security. This has become a huge mental stress for us," she said.

Hunger strike warning after September 30

The employees said they will begin an indefinite protest and hunger strike if secure housing is not provided by September 30.

The protest comes amid fresh terror threats targeting Kashmiri Pandit employees appointed under the PM Package. Letters attributed to the Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked United Liberation Council have reportedly warned employees to leave their jobs or face death.

Personal details, including phone numbers, home addresses and vehicle registration numbers, were also allegedly leaked online and circulated through social media and messaging platforms.

Housing gap remains a long-running issue

The latest threats have renewed concerns among thousands of PM Package employees serving in the Kashmir Valley. Many have been posted there for more than a decade.

Community activists have also pointed to long-standing delays in the housing part of the rehabilitation package. Thousands of transit quarters have been constructed at locations including Zewan in Srinagar, Mattan and Veerinag in Anantnag, and other parts of the Valley. However, employees say allotment and actual occupancy have not kept pace with construction.

Employees have repeatedly sought security audits of transit colonies and rented accommodation. They have also demanded time-bound possession of completed units.

The employees say there remains a gap between official claims that accommodation is ready and the situation on the ground. With September 30 now set as the deadline, the silent protest marks a fresh escalation in their demand for secure housing as security concerns grow.

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