New Delhi: A threat letter targeting Kashmiri Pandits has surfaced on social media, which is the second such threat in less than a month. Dated 23 August, the fresh letter names around half a dozen people, disclosing their residential details in Jammu, and warns Kashmiri Pandits against becoming “scapegoats of the regime”, also threatening them with consequences.
The letter draws a distinction between Kashmiri Pandits who remained in the Valley during the 1990s exodus and those who migrated. It claims that Pandits who stayed back are safe.
“However, all those Pandits who migrated from the Valley are hypocrites and traitors. They are targeted not because of their religion but because of their traitorous actions and conduct,” the letter read.
The letter named around six Kashmiri Pandits. It also reportedly disclosed their residential details in Jammu and described them as “white-collar terrorists” working for “their masters in Delhi”.
Following the emergence of the letter, security agencies have gone on alert and are verifying its authenticity while trying to identify those behind it.
“This is psychological warfare. These are empty threats and fear-mongering tactics from Pakistan, and the police are on their toes to identify the people behind these threats,” a senior police officer told The Print.
He further said that in 2019, Kashmir had more than 300 terrorists, but the number has since fallen sharply. The officer claimed that only one active terrorist from Kulgam remains.
“New recruitment has completely stopped. Yes, if terrorists get an opportunity, they may target a Kashmiri Pandit, migrant labourer or an off-duty police officer or even an army official to create fear psychosis. But they do not have that capability now,” the officer added.
ULC threat letters
The letter has been attributed to a group called the United Liberation Council (ULC), which security agencies believe could be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Two weeks ago, on 7 August, when the first threat came, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had instructed government departments to send Kashmiri Pandit employees on leave. Back then, ULC had also threatened the Kashmir police.
“As previously warned, your police force is over 90 percent residents who live, celebrate, and move with the community, making it easy to target them anywhere, anytime,” the letter read.
The previous letter also published the names and phone numbers of the six Kashmiri Pandit employees.
Also Read: ‘Neither scared nor will run away’: Kashmiri Pandits seek security in J&K after threat letter
Fear among Kashmiri Pandits
Arvind Pandit, who works under the PM Package in Kashmir, which aims to provide employment opportunities to displaced Kashmiri Pandits, said there is panic among the community and that they are waiting for security agencies to authenticate the letter.
“Once security agencies authenticate the letter, we will have more clarity on what exactly is happening. However, panic is there among the KPs living in Kashmir,” Arvind told The Print.
Meanwhile, the All PM Package Employees Forum Kashmir wrote to the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir seeking “enhanced security and protection for the employees serving under the PM package.”
“We will neither be scared nor run away this time,” the forum said in its letter.
Another Kashmiri Pandit working in South Kashmir said he had returned to Jammu after the threat letter.
“We are barely a few hundred living in small clusters across Kashmir. It’s easy for them to target us, and the government is also not giving any clarity,” he said.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)