Today’s Kashmir can be viewed through two lenses. Both the lenses narrate two different stories of two different communities one fighting for life and the other for free electricity. One one hand Kashmiri Hindus are repeatedly being attacked by Islamists for their faith and on the other hand Kashmiri Muslims could be seen protesting for free electricity. Recently the local electricity dept had gone to install electric meters at the homes of Kashmiri Muslims. But the ones who went to install metres were beaten up badly by the muslim mob & all installed metres were destroyed. The protests against installation of Smart Meters were held at Rajbagh locality. An FIR was lodged so that proper action can be taken against those who were involved in manhandling staff and breaking meters. An official said “The executing agency had bought fresh meters in autos. Scores of those meters were taken out forcibly by protesting people and damaged. It has hindered the process of meter installation, damaged equipment, and also put our staff on the ground at risk.”
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The story is of Kashmiri Hindus who are fighting for their life. Every day they are being attacked and killed for following a faith other than Islam. On 2nd a Bank Manager Vijay Kumar from Rajasthan in Kulgam, South Kashmir has been shot dead by Islamists in Kashmir. He has been critically injured and rushed to the hospital but unfortunately his life couldn’t be saved. The employee of the Ellaqui Dehati Bank, Vijay Kumar was shot inside the bank premises. He was a resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. Also a Hindu labour from Bihar has been killed for being Hindu. Back to back targeted killings are taking place of Hindus.On 31st of May, a Hindu woman teacher has been shot dead by Islamists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district for her faith. Prior to the killing of teacher Rajini Bala, a government employee Rahul Bhat had to give his life. After all these targeted killings of Kashmiri Hindus, a group of Kashmiri Pandit employees, who were given jobs under a prime minister’s package have begun their preparations to leave the valley after repeated targeted killings of Kashmiri Hindus.According to reports, over 4,000 Pandit employees have made their intention to leave the Valley clear. The narrative of Naya Kashmir seems facade. Until and unless the demographics of Kashmir is not made to change no positive change could be witnessed in the valley. Making Article 370 defunctional paved a way for demographic changes but unfortunately the current dispensation failed to make full use of the historical decision.
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