‘Watching your every move’: Another threat letter with details of Kashmiri Pandits emerges

'Watching your every move': Another threat letter with details of Kashmiri Pandits emerges Significantly, this is the first time in decades that threat letters have included personal details of the migrants, down to the house number and street name.

Key points

• The latest threats come at a time when administration initiatives for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits have gained momentum. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd.
• After the first threat letter emerged, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had instructed departments under it to send Kashmiri Pandit employees on leave, earlier this month.
• The ULC first created headlines in July when it issued a poster on Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's death anniversary, authorities remarked.
• "As already warned, wherever you are and wherever you go, we are watching your every move, " the letter signed by one Ahmed Bilal states.
• Purportedly issued by a group called the United Liberation Council.

Authorities stated security agencies are looking into the authenticity of the two letters and trying to identify those behind them.

Meanwhile, a fresh letter threatening Kashmiri Pandit migrants surfaced on Sunday, almost two weeks after a similar letter was posted online to warn those from the community working in the Kashmir Valley to "change their ways".

Significantly, this is the first time in decades that threat letters have included personal details of the migrants, down to the house number and street name.

Naming half a dozen Kashmiri Pandits, the letter gives out their residential locations in different parts of Jammu and describes them as "white collar terrorists'' and "traitors'' working for their "masters" in Delhi.

Notably, the letter seeks to draw a distinction between Kashmiri Pandits who did not migrate from the Valley, saying they are safe and no one is resisted to them, and those who did migrate. As are those "trying to implement RSS agenda" in Kashmir, the latter are the subject of the threat.

Purportedly issued by a group called the United Liberation Council. It security agencies say could be another front of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, these letters are being seen as an attempt to intimidate Kashmiri Pandits who, on being appointed by the administration to various departments under the PM job package, have returned to the Valley for work. Second such letter in a month.

After the first threat letter emerged, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had instructed departments under it to send Kashmiri Pandit employees on leave, earlier this month. The administration had additionally asked them to remain alert and move to safer places.

For context, the previous letter had the names and phone numbers of some employees from the Revenue department. Police sources had remarked the letter attempted to link their work to the administration seizing properties of terrorists. That letter came almost a week after two migrant workers were killed by militants at a brick kiln in South Kashmir's Kulgam on July 31.

In practice, the ULC first created headlines in July when it issued a poster on Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's death anniversary, authorities remarked.

Meanwhile, the latest threats come at a time when administration initiatives for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits have gained momentum. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd.

Taken together, the developments around 'Watching your every move': Another threat letter with details of Kashmiri Pandits point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.