Kashmiri Pandit Activist’s Letter to President Warns of Repeat of 1990 Exodus

Srinagar: As investigations by JKP continue into threat letters targeting Kashmiri Pandits, another activist has written an open letter to the President of India demanding a thorough probe to prevent a repeat of the 1990 exodus.

Fresh threats against Kashmiri Pandit employees in the Valley have triggered alarm across the community, reviving memories of the mass displacement of 1990.

The latest warnings, issued in late August, named employees working under the Prime Minister’s Special Package and exposed personal details such as addresses and vehicle numbers.

According to the Kashmiri Pandit community, this requires urgent intervention from the government.

Social activist Sanjay Sapru has written an open letter to the President of India voicing the community’s concerns. The letter urged the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Jammu and Kashmir administration to treat the threats as a national security issue. It called for a time‑bound investigation to identify and punish those responsible, while stressing the need to ensure a secure environment for Pandit employees and residents.

The appeal emphasized that the community’s fundamental rights to live in their homeland must be upheld. Copies of the letter were also sent to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS) said the latest threats cannot be dismissed as digital noise.

President of the Samiti, Sanjay Tickoo, stated that a letter attributed to an outfit calling itself the United Liberation Council (ULC), suspected to be a Lashkar‑e‑Toiba proxy, had surfaced on social media carrying names and personal details of Pandit employees.

“Security agencies are examining its authenticity, but the circulation of such identifiable information itself warrants an immediate, transparent and credible response,” Tickoo said.

He added that the intimidation is familiar; “In the 1990s, intimidation travelled through posters, loudspeakers and whispers. Today it travels through screens and encrypted channels. Technology has changed, but the objective is similar to make Kashmiri Pandits feel his birthplace is conditional, his property negotiable and his presence temporary,”.

All PM Package Employees Forum has sought enhanced security at workplaces and residential colonies, even suggesting work‑from‑home arrangements until confidence is restored.

Panun Kashmir has termed the circulation of personal data as psychological warfare aimed at forcing another exodus. Families of employees report panic, with many seeking leave or relocation outside the Valley.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the threats a matter of serious concern, urging police and intelligence agencies to investigate thoroughly.

Lieutenant Governor’s administration has promised a review of security measures, but employees say repeated threats and past targeted killings have eroded their trust in official assurances.

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