Last Rites of Female Teacher Shot Dead by Terrorists in J&K's Kulgam Carried Out

Rajni Bala was shot dead by terrorists at a high school in Gopalpora area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam.

The funeral of Rajni Bala was conducted in Samba on Wednesday, 1 June, a day after she was shot dead by terrorists at a high school in Gopalpora area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam.

The woman, a teacher and resident of Samba (Jammu division), received fatal gunshot injuries and succumbed after being shifted to the hospital on Tuesday.

The victim's family members mourned near her mortal remains at their residence.

The attack on Tuesday also triggered protests by several people who blocked a road in Kulgam. They demanded relocation, claiming that they are not feeling safe in Srinagar.

This is the seventh such attack on civilians and policemen in Kashmir in the past few weeks.

Protests Against Bala's Killing Continue for 2nd Day

Protests against Bala's killing continued in several parts of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts of J&K for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Kashmiri Pandits had threatened to undertake mass migration from the Kashmir Valley if they were not relocated to safe places within the next 24 hours.

On Wednesday, the protesters blocked the Jammu highway in Samba and demanded the sacking of officers responsible for failing to transfer Bala to a safe place, which resulted in her killing. The protesters took out a rally and raised anti-government and anti-Pakistan slogans.

They also staged a sit-in protest, blocked traffic, and demanded the dismissal of officials, including Kulgam's Chief Education Officer (CEO), who had reportedly delayed her transfer to Kulgam for months. They also raised slogans against J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for failing to provide adequate security to protect Hindus serving in government offices in the Valley and also burnt an effigy of the administration.

A complete shutdown was also observed in Bala's home district of Samba.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina had visited the bereaved family and faced protest. He called the Valley's Hindu population a soft target and said there was an urgent need to formulate a security plan for the Hindu community's safety as they were being constantly targeted by Pakistani terrorists.

"Hindus are being killed in Muslim majority Kashmir under the BJP rule. Twenty-two Hindus, including Kashmiri Pandits, Dogra Hindus and outsiders, have been killed in the past and several injured by (bullet) shots," former Samba Member of the Legislative Assembly(MLA) Yashpal Kundal said.

In Jammu city, BJP's student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Dogra Front, Kashmiri Pandits Front, and Bajrang Dal also protested against the killing.

'Attack Against Humanity and Country': Delhi CM Kejriwal

Reacting to the killing, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday, that the same thing happened with Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s.

"They are being targeted and killed in their houses, offices, and roads. It's against humanity and country and no one is doing anything to stop it. When Kashmiri Pandits try to raise their voice against it, their voices are suppressed. 16 Kashmiri Pandits have been killed this year," he said, reported ANI.

"I demand that Kashmiri Pandits be given adequate security and and their voices should not be quelled. They should be allowed to establish their homes in their 'janmabhoomi'," Kejriwal further said, as per news agency PTI.

Recent Killings in Kashmir

This is the seventh such attack on a civilians and policemen in Kashmir in the past few weeks.

On 25 May, a 35-year old television artist Amreen Bhat was shot dead by terrorists at her residence in the Chadoora area of Budgam. Her 10-year-old nephew was also injured in the attack.

Previously, a Kashmiri pandit and a government employee named Rahul Bhat was shot inside the local tehsil office by militants. On 12 May, gunmen had fired upon Bhat in the office located in the Chadoora area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

The deaths triggered massive protests. Some protesters reportedly tonsured their heads as well.

(With inputs from ANI.)