Inhuman Acts
The targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits have once again thrown open the debate about the deep societal divide between communities and the failure of the government to handle the highly sensitive segment in the Kashmir valley, the only large Muslim-majority region of India that has been torn by strife for decades. A fresh wave of targeted attacks, primarily on Hindu migrant workers and Kashmiri pandits, has seen a resurgence after the abrogation of Articles 370 & Article 35A on August 5, 2019. What is alarming is that this time, terrorists have killed pandits who chose to stay in the Valley against all odds and bear the brunt along with the majority community. The blood started flowing in the streets last year with the killing of prominent businessman ML Bindroo. He was shot dead at his medical store in Srinagar. In October, Rahul Bhat was shot dead inside the revenue office in Budgam. On August 18, Sunil Kumar was killed. And Pitambar Nath Bhat nearly escaped death in a murderous attack inside an orchard in Chotipora village of Shopian. On October 15, we saw Puran Krishan Bhat, an apple orchard owner in Shopian district, being attacked just at the gate of his home.
