Srinagar, July 13: Families of terrorism victims in Jammu and Kashmir said on Sunday that their pain had been ignored for over three decades, 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.
“No one ever asked about our pain,” said Suhail Yusuf Shah from Kupwara, whose mother was killed by terrorists. “The ones who destroyed our lives were strengthened, and we were left to survive without help or recognition.”
Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh from SheeriBaramulla, who lost his father, described enduring repeated cycles of paperwork and unfulfilled promises. “We lived through the loss, and then through years of being asked to prove it again and again. It broke us.” He appealed for reservation benefits, adding, “Past governments only mocked our pain with false promises.”
An elderly woman, who lost her husband in 1994 and raised five children alone, shared her struggles. “My son was just five months and 25 days old when his father was killed. Since then, I’ve done daily labour to feed my children. I sold our land to build two rooms without a roof and none of my daughters are married yet. I’ve never received any government aid,” she said.
She added that she was recently called by the Deputy Commissioner’s office to attend the Baramulla event. “Today we feel heard. After years of surviving in silence, we are thankful that someone in power saw our struggle,” she said.
From Sarmarg, Handwara, another woman whose brother was killed decades ago, said their family was never acknowledged. “Even our parents died waiting for dignity. No one ever listened. We were completely forgotten,” she said adding, “we are grateful that this pain was at least acknowledged. That means something to families like ours.”
On June 29, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had met multiple such families during visits to Anantnag and elsewhere. In that meeting, he said, a series of decisions were taken to expedite compensation and support mechanisms for the kin of terror victims.
Within 15 days, the first group of verified families have now received appointment letters for government jobs, under what officials called a streamlined and district-level monitored process. More cases, they added, are under active verification across Jammu and Kashmir.
Victim families said this was the first time a structured official process had responded to their suffering. “For three decades, we waited,” said one elderly parent. “Too many died waiting for dignity. If our children can now find a future, maybe that wait was not in vain.”
