Patience of Kashmiri migrant employees, sitting on a dharna for the last 50 days in support of their one point demand of relocation to the safer areas outside the Kashmir valley, is fast running thin.
Coupled with this the Union Territory administration is not leaving any stone unturned to pressurise these employees to resume their duties in the safer zones.
On June 29, the office of the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar directed one dozen Kashmiri employees to report to the office of the Camp Director, Panthachowk to ensure smooth conduct of the Amarnath yatra.
In addition several employees, especially teachers, have been served show cause notices by their school authorities to explain the reasons behind unauthorised absence from duties for a long time. So far the majority of these employees have not resumed their duties. At the same time they are a worried lot as many of them have been handed over relieving orders by their superior officers while directing them to resume their duties.
These migrant employees have launched a peaceful agitation soon after Rahul Bhat, a Kashmiri migrant employee deployed in the Kashmir valley under Prime Minister's package, was shot dead in cold blood inside the office of Tehsildar Chadoora in the central Kashmir district of Budgam on May 12.
So far the initiatives announced by the Union territory administration have not enthused these employees and they continue to hold their ground in support of their demand. These initiatives included a promotion scheme for the PM package employees, transfer to safer zones in the district headquarters, and adequate security cover across their transit camps.
Even a high level meeting convened between the representatives of the Kashmiri migrant employees and the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha failed to break the impasse last month.
In the last 50 days these migrant employees held several rounds of discussions with the visiting bureaucrats, police officers, local politicians, took out candle light marches in the heart of Srinagar city near Lal Chowk but no major headway was achieved. As per rough estimates around 70 percent kashmiri migrant employees have already shifted to Jammu while rest of them have been camping inside their transit camps and not stepping out as they continue to live under the shadow of guns.
The employees sitting on a dharna in the office of Relief Commissioner (Migrants), in Jammu alleged the UT administration has so far failed to address their genuine demand. "We have made it clear to the government that Kashmiri pandit employees are not going to become scapegoats. Unless the security situation is brought under control and a conducive atmosphere prevails the PM package employees should be attached with the office of Relief Commissioner, Jammu till further orders".
A kashmiri migrant employee while referring to the security scenario in the Kashmir valley claimed, "we are still living in fear in the valley.We hardly step out of the camps. The fear of targeted killings is looming large. There is no question of resuming duties under the prevailing circumstances". Another employee sitting on a dharna in the office of Relief Commissioner said, "all those initiatives announced by the UT administration have failed to cut ice with the migrant employees". "We are only sticking to our one point demand of relocation to the safer areas outside the Kashmir valley. We don't want to serve in the Kashmir valley.