‘Justice has finally been done’: Terror victims’ families in J&K receive govt jobs after decades

“Justice has finally been done,” said Abrar Ahmed of Rajouri, who lost his parents to terrorism 26 years ago, after he received his appointment letter from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday.

Abrar is among 438 beneficiaries who were handed government letters by the lieutenant governor to families of terror victims across Jammu and Kashmir in the past eight months—many of whom had waited 15 to 26 years for relief under the rehabilitation policy.

Recalling his ordeal, Abrar said that militants slit his mother’s throat in 2000, locked the family along with livestock inside their house, and set it on fire. A year later, his father was also killed in a similar manner.

“For us, the LG has come like a god-sent angel. I had lost hope long ago after running from pillar to post to pursue my case. But today, when the LG handed me the appointment letter, I could not believe my eyes,” Abrar said.

Addressing the gathering, Sinha termed the prolonged delay in justice a “civilisational failure,” stating that the affected families were not only devastated by terrorism but were also failed by a system meant to protect and support them.

“Justice cannot be delivered unless injustice is first recognised,” the LG said.

Several other beneficiaries echoed similar sentiments, recounting years of suffering, loss, and neglect.

Muhammad Rafiq from Bandi in Poonch district said that his father was killed by terrorists in 2001, after which he was raised by his maternal grandfather and later educated in an orphanage.

“By giving us this job, it feels like we have been given a new life. I am thankful to LG sahib,” he said.

Muskan from Reasi, whose mother died in a blast and was identified only by a part of her leg, said the appointment brought long-awaited relief. “We followed the files for years, but we got job letters today. We thank LG sahib from the core of our hearts. After so many years, we feel justice has been done,” she said.

Another appointee from Ramban said that his father was taken from their home and killed in 2001. “We were very young and had no understanding then. Today, after 25 years, we finally got this government job,” he said, crediting his grandmother for raising and educating him through difficult times.

Many beneficiaries said they had spent decades visiting government offices without success.

“Our files gathered dust from 1991 till now,” said a relative of an appointee, adding that several families in Ramban district lost multiple members in terror incidents, including mass killings in remote areas like Sumbal and Totar Dhar in 2001.

The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to both the Union Territory administration and the Central government for implementing a “zero tolerance” policy against militancy and ensuring long-pending cases were addressed.

Officials said the initiative aims to provide both financial stability and a sense of justice to families affected by terrorism, many of whom had been left without support for decades.

Sinha said that each such case represented homes where “laughter was replaced by silence” and families that had to fend for themselves for years, often facing social neglect in addition to personal loss.

“So far, appointment letters have been given to 438 terror-victim families. This is not merely a number — these are 438 shattered worlds,” Sinha said while addressing the gathering.

“I pledge to the families of terror victims that we will work with full commitment to secure their dignified and honourable lives. We will discharge every duty towards them with utmost seriousness, and we will not rest until justice reaches every family,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

Sinha began this special initiative by handing over appointment letters to the Next of Kin (NoKs) of terror victims at Baramulla on July 13, 2025.

(With inputs from PTI)