Srinagar, July 13 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said that he apologises it took three decades for justice to reach the families of terrorism victims.
Sinha said that many families lived in darkness for years and it was a matter of deep regret that families had to live in darkness and pain for over 30 years without recognition or rehabilitation.
He was addressing a large gathering at the North Campus of the University of Kashmir in Baramulla during a function for distributing appointment letters to the next of kin (NoKs) of victims of terrorism.
“I apologise that it took three decades for justice to reach you,” LG Manoj Sinha said.
The Lieutenant Governor, accompanied by top officials including the Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, DGP Nalin Prabhat, Home Secretary, Divisional Commissioner Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, and DC Baramulla Minga Sherpa, said thousands of ordinary Kashmiri citizens were brutally killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists from 1990 to the present day.
“Their deaths were never acknowledged. In many cases, families were silenced, suppressed, and no one even wiped their tears,” he said.
LG Sinha said that for decades, the voices of victims were ignored, and justice was neither demanded nor delivered. “There was a complete silence around their pain. It was never even considered necessary to speak against Pakistan,” he added.
He said that although some families were compensated or given jobs, there were many who never received any help. “I too remained unaware for the first four years,” he added.
He recalled a turning point when members of the Save Youth Save Future Foundation brought 150 such families to meet him in Raj Bhavan. “One of them had lost a father in a terrorist attack. Of the three daughters, one ended her life, and the others were in deep trauma,” he said as per the KNS.
During his visit to Anantnag on June 29 ahead of Amarnath Yatra preparations, LG Sinha said he met several more such families. “A girl told me her father, an SPO, was killed and her mother begged and raised her, yet the killers were receiving government jobs.
“That day, after returning to Srinagar, I held a high-level meeting with the Chief Secretary, DGP, Home Secretary and other senior officers. We took five major decisions,” he said.
Sinha said that the government decided to provide government jobs to the eligible NoKs of terror victims under the law, ensure financial assistance for those families who had received none, provide support through the Prime Minister’s Mudra Yojana by increasing the soft loan amount from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh without guarantee, to help families start their own ventures, register FIRs in pending cases and reopen investigations where necessary and restore properties seized by terrorists to the rightful families.
He added that the district administrations had been directed to register such families through a special helpline.q61b
“Within 14 days, we have made significant progress. Many have been identified for jobs. This is just the beginning,” LG Sinha said.
He said a grievance registrar for terror victims has been created and so far, 193 cases from Kashmir and 61 from Jammu have been officially registered. Many cases involve families who never got compensation or had their FIRs pending.
LG Sinha also mentioned several old cases where investigations were never carried out or were closed as untraced. “The police has now formed a high-level committee to reopen 45 such cases, and reinvestigation orders have already been issued in 23,” he said.
“This process will be fast-tracked. I assure the families that these cases will no longer remain forgotten,” he said.
Speaking about the decades of pain, LG Sinha said, “While innocent Kashmiris were being killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists, some in Kashmir were glorifying the killers.”
“A dangerous ecosystem was created where crying over the death of terrorists was normalised, while the pain of ordinary citizens was ignored,” he added.
He narrated the story of Wali Muhammad of Fatehgarh, whose three sons were killed by terrorists. “His son Tanveer, now grown up, attended today’s event with his mother. Their 26-year wait for justice ends today.”
He also mentioned Raja Begum, whose husband and four children were killed by terrorists in 1999. “She was denied even basic dignity and food,” he said, adding, “Justice will be delivered to all such families.”
He said the administration was determined to reverse the narrative peddled by the “conflict entrepreneurs” and those who portrayed Pakistan-sponsored terrorists as victims. “Our Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, but it does not allow anyone to glorify terrorists or play with the nation’s integrity,” LG Sinha said.
“Those speaking the language of terror outfit TRF and other such organisations will face legal consequences,” he added.
He also warned those “trying to give oxygen and water to the terror ecosystem” that their time was up. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir have now taken a firm stand against terrorism. This change is visible and irreversible,” he further said.
Sinha urged all Deputy Commissioners to complete the process of rehabilitation, be it government jobs, financial aid, or entrepreneurship. “Wipe their tears and help them begin a new life,” LG Sinha said.
“I congratulate those who received jobs today. This is a new beginning. In the coming days, justice will reach every eligible victim family,” he added.(KNS)
