Serious turning point: Hindu editorial on targeted killings in Kashmir

Nine civilians have been killed in Kashmir in the last 22 days in targeted killings by terrorists, including a Kashmiri Pandit employeeOne Hindu school teacher from Jammu And a bank manager from rajasthan, it has triggered wave of protest in the valley from minority communities. The protests since May 12, when a Pandit employee, Rahul Bhat, was killed in his office, with more than 4,000 Pandit employees recruited under a special package, are on the verge of another migration like those in the 1990s. Their leaders say they are considering mass exodus and resignation unless they are shifted outside the Valley. The despicable terrorist violence and plight of Pandits and Hindus reflect the grave reversal of all gains towards peace and reconciliation over the past decade or so. The Valley had welcomed the subtle and slow return of Kashmiri Pandits, a section of those who faced an increase in violence and targeted killings in the 1990s. His return was encouraged by the overarching policy of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who in 2008 worked out a strategy: a political outreach to stakeholders from across Kashmir’s political spectrum to create a conducive environment and, at the same time, the Pandits. Willing to return to provide permanent financial assistance.

The Prime Minister’s package for the return and resettlement of Kashmir migrants not only offered jobs to Pandit youth, but also provided an initial financial assistance of ₹7.5 lakh per family, which was later increased to ₹20-₹25 lakh – In three installments for those who settled in the valley. It is no coincidence that with renewed pressure from the Center to turn Kashmir’s ties with India came for the worse. Abolition of statehood and special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. A Hindu goldsmith was murdered on December 31, 2020; A series of targeted killings of members of minorities, including Kashmiri Pandits, began on 6 October 2021 when Makhan Lal Bindu, who ran the famous Bindu Mediket, was murdered. In his shop in Srinagar. Guest workers from other parts of the country were also killed in the Valley. The policies implemented by the Center with respect to land and government jobs in J&K are seen as detrimental to the local people, increasing the sense of alienation being exploited by separatists and Pakistan-backed terrorists. As an immediate response, the Center should take measures to ensure the safety of Hindus and migrant workers in the Valley at any cost. It should also rethink its Kashmir policy and create space for political dialogue. The dilution of Article 370, it seems, was not the end of the problem, but the beginning of new challenges in Kashmir, which need to be handled with caution rather than mere muscular conquest.