Sinha’s selective job drive in IIOJK draws flak, true victims sidelined
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi-appointed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has announced that around 250 families who he claimed as “victims of terrorism” in the territory have been provided government jobs. However, the move has drawn criticism from Kashmiris, who view it as a political gimmick amid ongoing Indian state terrorism.
According to Kashmir Media Service, political analysts, civil society groups, and ordinary citizens point out that many of those designated as “victims” were those individuals who worked for Indian forces and intelligence agencies.
“The common youth of Kashmir, who have endured relentless Indian state oppression and military crackdowns, are being sidelined,” said a political analyst in Srinagar. “Labeling those aligned with the Indian state as ‘victims’ while ignoring the families of thousands killed, tortured, or disappeared at the hands of Indian occupation forces over the past 36 years is not only biased — it’s an insult to the real victims.”
Such gimmick by Manoj Sinha is meant to hide the continued Indian state terrorism, victims of pellets and bullets and various massacres in the occupied territory.
While vast sections of the Muslim population in IIOJK continue to face poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to education and healthcare, government jobs are handed to families with close ties to the Indian state. Analysts warn that such selective rehabilitation deepens the alienation of Kashmiri youth, who live under constant harassment, surveillance, and militarization.
The controversy escalated after LG Sinha referred to Kashmiris demanding their UN-recognized right to self-determination as “terrorists.” His remarks were widely condemned across Kashmir. “How can a peaceful struggle for a legitimate and internationally recognized right be equated with terrorism?” questioned a local rights activist. “Such statements only criminalize dissent and justify further repression.” Concerns are also growing that limited employment opportunities are disproportionately going to non-local Hindus, sidelining qualified Kashmiri Muslims. Many view this as part of a broader demographic and political agenda aimed at altering the Kashmir’s Muslim-majority character.
Observers note that while the LG administration claims to support “victim families,” it remains silent on the families who lost loved ones in some of the most brutal massacres committed by Indian forces since 1989 in the territory. Thousands of Kashmiri families continue to await justice and recognition.
