JAMMU: The protest venue outside the office of Relief Commissioner in Jammu wore a deserted look as the PM Package Kashmiri Pandit government employees demanding relocation outside the Kashmir Valley suspended their 310 days long strike here on Saturday.
The protesters comprised Kashmiri Pandits working in different government departments under a Prime Minister’s Employment Package programme.
They were demonstrating since May last following the target killing of their colleagues Rahul Bhat and Rajini Bala by terrorists.
Protestors briefly said that they were surrendering as authorities had stopped their salaries.
Here it needs to mention that the Jammu and Kashmir administration has neither accepted nor rejected the demand but the protesting employees were finally compelled to suspend their marathon 310 days long protest in Jammu as they said that their salaries have been stopped adding financial burden upon them.
Ruban Saproo, member of All Migrant (Displaced) Employees Association Kashmir (AMEAK) said, "After series of targeted killings, many employees have moved to Jammu division when Rahul Bhat was killed in government office in Budgam on May 12 while Rajni Bala, a school teacher, was gunned down in a school in Kulgam on May 31 last year".
"We have unanimously decided to suspend the ongoing agitation and are surrendering before the government. We have projected our demand for relocation but the government neither accepted nor rejected our demand," Ruban Saproo told reporters.
He said since Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha had time and again assured a secure atmosphere to them in the Kashmir Valley, the core committee of the organisation decided to suspend the agitation and wait for the government’s response.
Another protestor meekly said that they are left with no option but to surrender before the government after it stopped their salaries adding financial burden to them.
"We do not feel safe in Kashmir, yet we all have to go as nobody is paying heed to our voices," he added .
Here it needs to be mentioned that the employees have also protested outside the J&K BJP office in Jammu to pressurise the government to concede to their demand of relocation from Kashmir.
