Court ruling on PM job package dismays Hindus, Sikhs in Kashmir

Under the Prime Minister's special employment scheme, 6,000 government jobs were announced for non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits in 2009 as the government said they were hit by militancy in the 90s due to their exodus.

Srinagar: A ruling of Jammu and Kashmir High Court reserving jobs under Prime Minister package for Kashmiri Pandits only has "disappointed" Hindus and Sikhs in the Valley and they are approaching the Supreme Court now.

Last week, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh High Court dismissed a petition of a Kashmiri Hindu who had sought to include Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs into the job package announced for Kashmiri non-migrant Pandits by the Congress government in 2009.

Under the Prime Minister's special employment scheme, 6,000 government jobs were announced for non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits in 2009 as the government said they were hit by militancy in the 90s due to their exodus.

However, the Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs also sought to be included in the package as they were equal suffers due to internal displacement in Kashmir. But the court dismissed the petition.

Justice Sanjeev Kumar of the High Court in his ruling said, "Kashmiri Pandits is a separately identifiable community distinct from other Hindus residing in the valley like Rajputs, Brahmins, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and many others."

"It is thus difficult to accept the contention of the petitioners who are mostly Kshatriyas, Rajputs, Scheduled Castes and non-Kashmiri Brahmins that they should be treated as Kashmiri Pandits and admitted to the benefits of the Prime Minister's revised package for return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants," the high court said.

Danmmet Kaur, a Sikh woman, told ETV Bharat that she is disappointed as she had applied for one of the posts under the scheme but her application was rejected.

Sikhs say that due to the turmoil in Kashmir, many of them suffered equally as KPs and had to displace from rural areas into towns and the Srinagar city.

All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina told ETV Bharat that singling out Pandits and leaving Sikhs and other Hindus is not a "fair" ruling, adding, they will approach Supreme Court to contest the High Court ruling.

Satish Mahaldar, who is Chairman of Reconciliation and Return of Kashmir Pandits, told ETV Bharat that KPs are quite distant in rituals and culture than the rest of the Hindus in the region as well as in Asia.

"The government should provide facilities to all those who were hit due to turmoil in Kashmir," Mahaldar said.