Targeted killings in J&K: Govt employees carry out march in Jammu, demand transfer to home districts

Amid unabated targeted killings in Kashmir, hundreds of government employees posted in the valley protested in Jammu on Thursday demanding 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.

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 targeted killings and provide a secure atmosphere to them.

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“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 targeted 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.

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Meanwhile local media reports state that the School Education Department has directed the Chief Education Officers of the Kashmir division to post non-Muslim employees of the department at their safe places.

((with PTI inputs))