Terrorist gunfire that killed five Bengal labourers in Kulgam district has left Kashmir on the edge again. On Wednesday, October 30, migrant workers started fleeing the valley in droves.
An estimate of the number of people fleeing the four districts of south Kashmir was not immediately available. However, according to local residents and officials, the exodus was more pronounced compared to when there were previous terrorist attacks on workers and truck drivers from outside the state.
The five labourers who were killed hailed from Bengal’s Murshidabad district. A sixth worker survived with two bullets in his abdomen. His father said he regretted sending his son to earn a living to terrorist-infested south Kashmir.
“I own five bighas of land where harvesting will start in a few days. My son told me he would earn Rs 650 a day working there. He got married two months ago, and I allowed him to go thinking the extra money would help. I shouldn’t have,” 32-year-old Jahiruddin’s father Abdus Samad Sarkar told The Times Of India.
Jahiruddin is being treated at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital. His condition is critical.
“Most Of Our Non-Local Labourers Have Already Left”
According to the families of the slain labourers, days before the attack, they said they were receiving threats from terrorists because they were “non-Kashmiris”.
A foreboding silence descended on the apple orchards in Katrochu village of Kulgam, where the labourers were targeted. Normally, these orchards would be buzzing with activity.
“There have been several killings in south Kashmir over the past few weeks, but the latest attack carried a dire message for all of us. Most of our non-local labourers have already left,” said Farooq Ahmad Naik, a resident of Kulgam.
Several trucks were seen trooping out of Kulgam and other south Kashmir districts through the day. Many of them did not have the shipments they were supposed to carry back.
For workers and truckers who have stayed back, rented accommodation is now difficult to find as house owners are afraid of terrorists coming to look for them.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the Centre for failing to maintain law and order in J&K. She demanded an inquiry into the killing of the five labourers. She announced Rs 5 lakh in compensation to each of the families.
Congress’s Lok Sabha leader Adhir Chowdhury wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah, and demanded “security and protection” of Bengal labourers working in Kashmir. “Their families are scared. Family members can’t contact some of them. The MHA should set up a helpline for them,” Chowdhury said.
Also Read: Terrorist Kill Five Bengal Labourers In Kashmir, Seventh Attack On Migrants Since 370 Abrogation
