On Tuesday, 158 families affected by decades of Pakistan-backed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir gathered, where Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha handed them long-awaited appointment letters. For many, it was a day that finally offered some comfort and hope after years of pain and loss. “These wounds have persisted for decades,” the LG told the gathering, his voice firm but laden with empathy. “Time did not erase the pain of loss. The invisible scars on your soul can be felt. Today, those wounds begin to heal.”
Decades of Loss, Minutes of Justice
For over thirty years, Pakistan-backed militant groups have targeted ordinary civilians across J&K — teachers, farmers, policemen, traders — leaving behind widows, orphans, and families trapped in cycles of grief and poverty. Some of these wounds dated back to the early 1990s, others were as recent as the last decade. In every case, justice had been delayed far too long.
The LG recalled the tragic story of Abdul Majid Mir from Sheikhpura, Baramulla, who was kidnapped and murdered in 2004. His family received only a meagre ex-gratia payment under the Security Related Expenditure scheme, but no real means to rebuild their lives. “Today, by giving his son Mudasir a government job, we have fulfilled an overdue responsibility,” Sinha said.
Justice also arrived — albeit after 31 years — for Suhail Majeed from Anantnag, whose father, Abdul Majeed Wani, was gunned down in 1994. Similarly, the family of SPO Manzoor Ahmad Rather, killed in 2000, finally saw his son Khurshid Ahmad appointed to a government position. For Parvez Ahmad Dar, the nightmare spanned nearly three decades: terrorists killed his father in 1996 and his brother in 2004. Only now, he says, can he “look ahead.”
‘The New Jammu & Kashmir’
Sinha used the occasion to deliver a political message — framing these appointments as part of a broader transformation since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
“Because of Article 370, terrorism had increased and the terror ecosystem was emboldened,” he said. “On that day, the dismantling of this ecosystem began. The new Jammu & Kashmir treats all citizens as equal. Here, jobs go to martyrs’ families, not to terrorists. Here, children hold pens, not stones.”
In this “new J&K,” he declared, separatists are not embraced — common Kashmiris are. “The terrorist elements sitting in the government system are being cleaned out one by one. Tears are shed for common people, not for terrorists.”
Red Lines Against Terrorism
Paying tribute to civilian martyrs, Sinha promised “exemplary punishment” to those who carried out or supported acts of terror. “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India has drawn a new red line against terrorism. Equal punishment will be given to terrorists and their sponsors. If terror is state policy, it will be met with a visible and forceful response,” he asserted.
He urged every citizen to take a pledge: never again should terrorism be allowed to take root in J&K. “Peace is a prerequisite for progress. Many generations here have suffered the brunt of terrorism from our neighbour. Every person must rise against it,” he said.
Systematic Relief for Victims
Today’s event follows similar appointment letter distributions in Baramulla on July 13 and Jammu on July 28. The process will continue until every genuine case is addressed, officials said. A new web portal now streamlines compassionate appointments and other relief measures, supported by district and divisional helplines.
The ceremony was attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, DGP Nalin Prabhat, senior administrative and police officers, and dozens of family members — some clutching photographs of lost loved ones.
For many in attendance, the appointment letter was more than a job offer — it was an acknowledgment from the state that their suffering had not been forgotten. As one widow whispered, holding her son’s letter close to her chest: “This will not bring back his father, but it means my boy has a future.”
In a region where the wounds of terror often fade into political noise, Tuesday’s event stood out as a reminder that justice, however delayed, can still arrive — and that healing, once begun, can change the story of an entire generation.
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