Dear Editor, Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to make a humble appeal to the Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha regarding sanctioning holidays to KP employees on ensuing Maha Shivaratri festival, which owns a great significance for Hindu community. The great festival, known as ‘Herath’ in Kashmir is celebrated every year by Kashmiri Pandit community with religious fervour by performing ‘Watak Nath Pooja’. This festival of ‘Herath’ assumes colossal importance among the KP community in particular who celebrate it to mark wedding of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati and is being generally celebrated for three days. ‘Herath’ is also considered as a festival of preserving the intrinsic and positive values of Kashmiri culture. Along with this, it plays an important role in connecting people as well. However, it is worthwhile to mention here that last year, the J&K UT Govt has not sanctioned any Special Casual Leave (SCL) on the occasions of ‘Maha Shivaratri’ and ‘Diwali’ in favour of PM Package Migrant employees who are working in Kashmir valley. Further, the authorities at the helm of affairs in Kashmir had not even given the Station Permission/Leave in favour of PM Package Migrant employees on the eve of Maha Shivaratri and left all those unfortunate migrant employees in deep distress. This is indeed very sad, dejected and disturbing phenomenon. So in order to elude such kind of mental agony and harassment, this year various Kashmiri Pandits Organizations have rightly demanded that the Kashmiri Pandit employees who are working under PM package in the valley be granted Special Casual Leave for atleast five days on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri so that they can celebrate the holy festival with their families in Jammu. This year the holy festival of “Herath” will be celebrated from 28th February to 3rd March. Granting special leave on this pious occasion will be in the larger interest of KP community, as this festival is one of the holiest and sacred festivals being celebrated by Kashmiri Pandits across the world. Therefore, I would like to make a humble appeal to the LG to kindly sanction at least Five Days Special Casual Leave on eve of Maha Shivaratri in favour of PM Package Kashmiri Pandit Migrant employees. Vivek Koul Gole Gujral, Jammu.
