Centre’s job package exclusive to ‘Kashmiri Pandits’ living in Valley: J&K HC

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has said the Central government’s special job package was exclusive to the non-migrant Kashmiri-speaking Brahmins or ‘Kashmiri Pandits’ living in the Valley and other

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has said the Central government’s special job package was exclusive to the non-migrant Kashmiri-speaking Brahmins or ‘Kashmiri Pandits’ living in the Valley and other Hindus cannot be treated the same.

“‘Kashmiri Pandits’ is a separately identifiable community distinct from other Hindus residing in the Valley like Rajputs, Brahmins other than Kashmiri Pandits, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and many others. It is difficult to accept the contention of the petitioners, who are mostly Kshatriyas, Rajputs, Scheduled Caste, non-Kashmiri Brahmins etc., [they] should be treated as ‘Kashmiri Pandits’,” Justice Sanjeev Kumar observed in a judgement on Tuesday.

The court was hearing a petition where several Hindu groups and Sikhs living in the Valley were pleading to apply for the special job package of 1997 posts provided to Kashmiri non-migrant Pandits under the Prime Minister’s Package in 2009.