The prevailing anger and fear among some Dalit employees, who reached Samba this morning from Kashmir, to attend the cremation of their deceased colleague Ranji Bala, is an indication that first-time in the last 12 years, there is a feeling of insecurity and uncertainty among these employees.
The fear among these employees can be gauged from the fact that after reaching Nankay Chak-the native village of Rajni Bala, these employees joined by some locals resorted to shouting slogans against the government. They were demanding their adjustment in Jammu.
Like displaced Kashmiri Pandit employees, appointed under Prime Minister's special employment package, the Dalit employees also raised the demand of shifting to them due to security threats.
"Situation in the Kashmir is not conducive to serve because terrorists are selective killing employees after repeated intervals in almost all parts of the Valley", Surinder Kumar, a resident of R S Pura, who is serving in north Kashmir.
With fear visible on his face, Kumar minced no words in admitting that the gruesome killing of Rajni Bala has completely shattered the faith of over 2500 Dalit employees serving in different areas of Kashmir Valley.
Rajni Bala-the first employees recruited under the inter-district recruitment policy attacked by terrorists
First-time terrorists attacked any Jammu-based employee who was recruited under the inter-district recruitment policy in the Scheduled Caste category.
Rajni Bala-a teacher was shot dead by terrorists at the Gopalpora area of Kulgam district on Tuesday morning. Terrorists fired at a female teacher from a close range outside the High School Gopalpora Kulgam, leaving her severely wounded.
She was immediately shifted to district hospital Kulgam where doctors declared her as being brought dead. The teacher was shot in her head.
She was recruited under the Schedule Caste (SC) quota five years ago. She along with her husband, Raj Kumar Atri, were posted in the Gopalpora area of Kulgam and were living in a rented accommodation in the Chawalgaam area of the same district.
Over 2500 Dalit employees of Jammu serving in almost all areas of Kashmir
Although a large number of Jammu-based employees are deployed in Kashmir Valley, there are over 2500 Dalit employees who were directly appointed under the inter-district recruitment policy of the J&K government, who are serving in all the ten districts of the Valley in different departments.
These employees are recruited on district cadre posts so it is difficult for them to get transferred to Jammu province.
As there is no Dalit population in Kashmir Valley, qualified Scheduled Castes (SCs) youth from Jammu province have opted for district cadre posts reserved for SCs in the Valley.
For years together, these employees have been living peacefully in different areas of Kashmir Valley. Unlike employees appointed under Prime Minister's special recruitment package, these Dalits have not been provided any accommodation. They are living in rented accommodations in the remotest and far-flung areas of Kashmir Valley.
Inter-district recruitment policy was formulated in 2010.
The inter-district recruitment bill, which was passed by J&K Legislative Assembly on August 9, 2010, has banned inter-district recruitment and provided a quota for Scheduled Castes in government jobs in all districts.
Youth can now apply for government jobs only in his/her own district but any candidate belonging to the SC community can apply in any of the 20 districts in the Union Territory, including the Kashmir valley. Taking benefit of this Act, large numbers of unemployed educated SC youth have got recruited in different areas of Kashmir Valley.
"Dalit employees posted in Kashmir have pens and not guns"
While condemning the gruesome killing of Rajni Bala, All India Confederation of SC/ST/OBC Organisations J&K president R K Kalsotra demanded compensation for the irreplaceable loss incurred to the family and immediate transfer of the family back to their home district where they can grieve the loss and can continue the work there.
"The inter-district recruitment policy should be revised and already vulnerable sections shouldn't be posted in far-flung areas where it becomes a threat to their lives as they are only acquainted with pens and not guns", he said.
Moreover, he also demanded that until the situation is not stable in the Valley, these employees should be allowed to teach in the online mode.
