Pandits stage protest, demand evacuation of others stuck in

Scores of displaced Kashmiri Pandit (KP) employees, who escaped from the Valley after the recent protests, on Thursday held a demonstration against the state and central governments alleging they have failed to provide them security from stone-pelting attackers.

Over 100 KPs serving in Kashmir who escaped during night time from Haal, transit accommodation in Pulwama, Baramulla, Kupwara, Vessu and Mattan KP employees colonies in Anantnag, staged the protest at Relief Commissioner's office here.

Raising anti-government and anti-protesters slogans, they demanded an immediate evacuation of all the other employees who are still stuck in transit accommodation in different parts of the Valley.

"We want all the KP employees be brought back to Jammu by the government from trouble-torn Kashmir as their families are very worried," a government employee R J Saproo, who led the protest here, said.

The protesters said that they won't return to the valley as they had faced stone-pelting attacks repeatedly.

"We will not join the jobs in Kashmir as we have faced intimidation threats and stone pelting attacks repeatedly," another employee of Haal Sunita said.

They further said that the "stone-pelting" attacks have created fear among the migrant employees living in areas like Haal, Vessu and Mattan and other places in north and central Kashmir.

"How long can we tolerate? Have we done any mistake for volunteering to go to Kashmir, to serve Kashmir society, who are out to target us this time," asked Surinder Raina another employee of Vessu camp.