Valley Deafened by Gunshots and Cries: As J&K Mourns Its Dead, a Look at Horror Spun by Terrorists

The cycle of killings in Kashmir claimed yet another innocent victim on Thursday. A non-local labourer was shot dead in Budgam district, making it second such incident of the day in the Valley, after a bank manager was murdered in a brazen attack in Kulgam district.

The attacks on Thursday came just two days after a Hindu teacher from Jammu, Rajni Bala, was killed outside a school in Kulgam by terrorists.

The latest killings fuel more horror as Kashmiri Pandits protest in the Union Territory, demanding that they be relocated to safer areas. Since Rahul Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit, was shot dead inside the magistrate’s office in Budgam last month, members of the community have been agitating for their demands. News18 provides a recap of what’s happening in the valley which is shook by these acts:

The Attacks on Thursday

Vijay Kumar, manager of Ellaquai Dehati Bank (Regional Rural Bank) Areh Mohanpora village in Kulgam district had joined the branch just 4 days back.

Aged 21, Kumar was married barely 40 days ago. He had come all the way from Rajasthan to serve the rural bank for dispensing credit to the poorest of the poor among the local people.

He walked into the bank branch around 10 a.m. on Thursday. The killer walked in and shot Kumar inside the Bank premises. A front outfit of the LeT called Kashmir Freedom Fighters claimed Kumar’s murder.

“He was holding a domicile certificate which is part of India’s design to change the demography of Kashmir,” said the letter shot by the killers to the media.

After Kumar’s death, which had already prompted fresh protests in Jammu by government employees demanding relocation to safer places, the valley was yet again deafened by murder as militants fired at two non-local labourers at a brick kiln at Magraypora in Chadoora area of the central Kashmir district at around 9:10 pm.

They said the labourers, identified as Dilkhush Kumar and Guri, were injured in the attack and were taken to a nearby hospital. While Guri was discharged from the hospital, Kumar was shifted to SMHS hospital here where he succumbed, officials said, adding Kumar (17) was a resident of Arnia area of Bihar.

Attack on Govt School Teacher

The murders came a day after the mortal remains of a Hindu teacher killed by terrorists in Kulgam district were cremated on Wednesday amid protests.

Rajni Bala (36), who belonged to Jammu’s Samba district but was posted at a government school in Gopalpora, Kulgam. Officials said militants opened fire from close range on Bala at around 10 a.m. The staff and students of the Government High School, Gopalpora in Kulgam were about to finish the morning assembly when militants approached her outside the school, which is located about eight kilometres from Kulgam town in a secluded area surrounded by orchards.

Officials said Bala was shot in the head.

According to reports, she was hired five years ago under the Schedule Caste (SC) quota and assigned to Kashmir.

In October of last year, a teacher from Jammu, who was also hired under the SC category, was shot dead inside a school in Srinagar’s Eidgah neighbourhood.

Ranjit Singh’s Killing

Four persons were injured when a militant wearing a ‘burqa’ slipped a hand grenade through the window hole of the wine shop in Dewan Bagh area of Baramulla town on May 17.

One of the injured, Ranjit Singh of Bakra village in Rajouri district, later succumbed to critical splinter injuries in the hospital. The killing saw protests by his family and people from his community as they demanded ex-gratia after his death, saying that the deceased, who was a father of four daughters and a minor son, was the sole bread earner in family.

Rahul Bhat’s Killing and a Shift in the Valley

Rahul Bhat, a government employee, was gunned down by terrorists inside the Tehsil office in Chadoora town in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on May 12. He had got the job of a clerk under the special employment package for migrants in 2010-11.

Bhat’s merciless killing saw a shift in the valley with more aggressive and sustained protests. Kashmiri Pandits working in the Valley, majority of them under the Prime Minister’s rehabilitation package had staged protests at different places against the killing of their colleague.

The protesting Kashmiri Pandit government employees had blocked the Srinagar-Jammu highway outside Vessu migrant colony in Anantnag district. They lit candles to register their protest.

Visibly disturbed by the broad daylight killing of Rahul Bhat in a government office during working hours, one of the protesters said: “If rehabilitation costs life, we will prefer to resign and leave Kashmir forever.

“We are being made soft targets by militants. They (militants) should also clarify their policy. If they are out to kill all of us, they should tell us clearly.’

The J&K Police even used tear gas and mild lathi-charge to disperse these protests. The protesting Pandit employees were marching towards the Srinagar International Airport when police intercepted their march and used a few tear smoke shells and mild lathi-charge to disperse them.

After the protests, Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha said he had met with the relatives of Rahul Bhat. The LG has assured justice to the family and said that the terrorists and their supporters will pay a price for the heinous act.

“Met the relatives of Rahul Bhat and assured justice to the family. In this hour of grief, the government stands firmly with Rahul’s family. Terrorists and their supporters will have to pay a very heavy price for their heinous act,” office of LG Jammu and Kashmir had tweeted.

Other Killings in April

On April 13, terrorists in Kulgam fired upon a civilian named Satish Kumar Singh Rajput. He was immediately shifted to the hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. He was a driver by profession and was a resident of Kakran in Kulgam.

Following this incident, terror organization Lashkar-e-Islam has issued a warning to Kashmiri Hindus to ‘leave Kashmir or get killed’ in a letter named ‘Letter to kafirs.’

In another killing, Bal Krishan Bhat (39), who is from the Kashmiri Pandit community, was killed by suspected militants near his home in Choutigam Shopian on April 4.

Authorities confine Kashmiri Pandit employees to pooled accommodations

Migrant Kashmiri Pandit employees were on Wednesday confined to their pooled accommodations by the authorities as they have threatened to leave the Valley in protest against recent killings by the militants.

Authorities confined migrant Kashmiri Pandit employees to pooled accommodations in Tullamulla area of Ganderbal district, Sheikhpora in Budgam district, Veesu in Anantnag and in Baramulla and Kupwara districts.

Meanwhile, an association of Kashmiri Pandits, Mata Kheer Bhawani Asthapan trust has appealed that this year’s annual festival at the Mata Kheer Bhawani shrine in Ganderbal district should be cancelled keeping in view the general fear among the community because of the recent killings by the militants.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah will review the situation in Kashmir on Friday, in a meeting with LG Manoj Sinha, DGP J&K Dilbagh Singh, DG CRPF, and NSA, at 3 PM.

Protests Go On

Hundreds of government employees posted in the valley took out a march here on Thursday to demand their immediate transfer to their respective home districts. The protesters were carrying placards in support of their demand and pictures of their colleague Rajni Bala, a school teacher who was shot dead by terrorists at a school in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday, and chanted slogans demanding relocation.

The march was carried out from Press Club to Ambedkar Chowk. Assembled under the banner of All Jammu-based reserved categories employees association’, the protesters said they will not resume their duties as the government has failed to stop the killings and provide a secure atmosphere to them.

Nearly 8,000 employees from different districts of Jammu are working in Kashmir under inter-district transfer policy and we are not going to return and resume our duties in the present atmosphere. We are serving there for the last 15 years but are feeling insecure and tense in view of the spurt in the killings, Ramesh Chand, a teacher posted in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, told reporters. He said they have also come to pay homage to Bala and demand the government to ensure free education to her minor daughter and secure a government job for her.

“We are frustrated by the deteriorating security situation as nobody, including Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs are safe there. Anyone can become a victim of terrorists anytime,” he said and referred to the latest killing of bank manager Vijay Kumar from Rajasthan in Kulgam district on Thursday. Another employee Anjana Bala, a teacher posted in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, said, “We do not need government accommodation or promotion, we only want our transfer from the valley as providing security to each employee is not possible”.

Opposition Attack

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday launched a tirade against the NDA government at the Centre over the killings in Kashmir, saying it has not learnt any lessons from the past. In a tweet, he said, “A second #KashmiriPandit exodus is in progress. @PMOIndia is alone responsible for this. Mistakes of 1989 are being repeated by his govt. Political leaders of valley have no levers & left with no political legitimacy. Modi govt is busy promoting movies.”

Just like the 1987 Assembly election was rigged, the new delimitation has “gerrymandered” constituencies, he alleged.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate steps to restore peace in Kashmir, saying innocent people are being killed in the valley and Kashmiri Pandits are fleeing.

“Bank manager, teacher and many innocent people are getting killed every day, Kashmiri Pandits are fleeing,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

With inputs from PTI, IANS

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