Ganderbal Attack: Migrant Pandit Employees Seek Permission For Remote Work

The staff posted in various government departments are petrified by the sporadic attacks as most of them stay in rented apartments with minimal protection.

Srinagar: In the aftermath of the deadly attack in Ganderbal that claimed seven lives, migrant employees of the Kashmiri Pandit community have called on the Jammu and Kashmir administration to allow them to work from home until the security situation improves.

Following the recent killings, the migrant employees expressed fear for their safety. Many of them have met with senior officials from the administration and formally requested to work remotely through email. The All Migrant (Displaced) Employees Association, Kashmir, which represents employees under the PM's special package, submitted an official request through an email to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other top officials, emphasizing the need for urgent action.
A community member representing these employees, based in Srinagar, said most Kashmiri Pandit workers live in rented accommodations, making them vulnerable to attacks in future.

"We, the employees under the PM's Package for the Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants, working in various departments across the Valley, wish to urgently bring to your attention the worsening security situation in the region. The recent heinous targeted killings in Shopian and Sonamarg (Ganderbal) have once again plunged the Valley into a state of fear and unrest,” the association wrote in the October 22 email.

The email further highlighted how the threat perception was having an adverse impact on personal safety and professional performance.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, an employee in Srinagar explained the association's plea. "We have written to the top officials, including LG Manoj Sinha, requesting permission to work from home or in a hybrid mode. We've also asked for enhanced security at our camps, where many of us reside," he said.

The employees have also appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. "We, the Kashmiri Pandit employees working in the Valley, are deeply concerned about our safety following the repeated incidents of targeted killings. As the CM of J&K, we look to you for assurance of our security and that of our families," the association said in an X post.

Meanwhile, the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS), another prominent organization representing the community, urged the Pandits to stay vigilant.“Kashmiri Pandits residing in the Valley should stay alert. In the past, after non-locals were targeted, Kashmiri Pandits were often the next victims,” the organisation cautioned on an X post, tagging Abdullah and the Kashmir Police requesting for heightened security arrangements in Pandit-majority areas across the Valley.

More than 4,000 Kashmiri Hindus, employed under the Prime Minister's special package, work across various government departments in the Valley. These employees, originally from Jammu, were relocated to Kashmir under government policies aimed at returning and rehabilitating migrants, announced in 2008 and 2015.