The government organizations too are obeying the separatists. For instance Doordarshan and radio transmission now begins with “‘salam wale kum”, and not ‘“namasar” or “adab” as was the practice earlier. The separatist’s latest order is that Friday should be the weekly off day in place of Sunday.
A migrant said that ever since raids on suspected hide out of the separatists began in cities, they have shifted to rural areas. There have been no organized attacks on the minorities, but threats are common. Some people from Anantnag said their houses and shops were frequently stoned.
Most of the migrants were unwilling to be identified in a newspaper report because they had left behind property and were worried about its safety. They could not sell it because the separatists had threatened that anybody buying the property of the migrants would be killed.
The migrants have come from places as far as Baramulla and Anantnag. Kupwara and Srinagar. Many of them are government employees. There are also shop keepers, students and farmers.
Mr. Vaid Vishnu Dutt, president of the co-orientation committee said about 9,000 families had arrived in Jammu in the last three months; the process began in late December after the gunning down of Mr. P.N Bhat, a free-lance journalist and advocate in Anantnag.
The exodus subsided after some time, but gathered momentum again after the killing of Mr. Lassa Koul director of Srinagar station of Doordarshan. Saturday’s procession has further increased it, Mr. Vishnu Dutt added.
While the people are coming, the Government is not doing much to help them. So far it has agreed to give the migrants only ll kg of food grain per head per month. About 200 families have also been provided shelter. That is all.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 16, 1990
