Families of terrorism victims in Jammu and Kashmir said on Sunday said that for over three decades their pain was ignored, their voices unheard but for the first time, they feel someone is finally listening.
At a function held in Baramulla for the distribution of appointment letters to the next of kin (NoKs) of victims of terrorism, survivors from various parts of Kashmir shared heart-wrenching accounts of trauma, abandonment, and broken promises with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Suhail Yusuf Shah from Kupwara, whose mother was killed by terrorists, said no government had ever come forward to acknowledge their loss.
“No one ever asked about our pain. The ones who destroyed our lives were empowered, and we the victims were left to survive in silence,” he said.
Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh from Sheeri, Baramulla, whose father was killed by terrorists, said his family was pushed into repeated verification processes for years without result.
“No one can imagine what it feels like to live through such a loss and still be made to prove it over and over again,” he said.
“For years, previous governments mocked us with false promises. We urge the administration to give us reservation benefits to rebuild our lives,” he added.
While several other families also narrated similar ordeals during the event, the overwhelming sentiment was that of long-delayed recognition.
“For decades, our grief was invisible. Today, at least someone is listening. That means something,” one victim’s family member said.
On June 29, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had announced a series of measures after meeting dozens of such families in Anantnag and elsewhere. Within two weeks, officials say, the first group of eligible NoKs have received appointment letters for government jobs under a streamlined verification process.
