Migrant Labourers Fear Exodus After Targeted Killings in Kashmir

KULGAM: Panic. Shuttered doors. Phones ringing with anxious calls from home. Brick kilns across south Kashmir ground to a halt Saturday as migrant labourers stayed indoors, rattled by the killing of two co-workers barely 2km away and wondering if they should leave — or stay and earn. Around 11am, Sunil Kumar, 34, and fellow labourer Renku Yadav stepped out of brick kiln No 515 in Hablishi village of Kulgam district to buy atta and pulses after running out of food. They had barely walked a short distance when the kiln owner chased after them, urging them to return. Fear had settled over the village after terrorists fatally shot two migrant labourers Friday evening at a brick kiln in neighbouring Kilam — killing Deepak Ratrey, 24, and Bhupendra Bhaina, 28, from Chhattisgarh. The attack raised concerns about the resurgence of targeted killings of non-native people in Kashmir. In 2022, a series of targeted attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 10 labourers. Terrorists tend to target “soft targets” such as migrant workers, who arrive in Kashmir every year between March and Nov — the seasonal workforce engaged in labour-intensive tasks on farms, construction sites and brick kilns. Kumar lives beside the kiln in a shelter built by stacking bricks without cement. The temporary rooms become home during the brick-making season. He has worked in J&K since 2007 and has spent nearly a decade at the same kiln, moulding clay bricks before they are fired. “Life has been peaceful in recent years. We work during the day, cook in the evening, listen to songs and speak to our families,” Kumar said. “We have seen such attacks in Kashmir, but what can a labourer do? We have to earn a living,” said Kumar, who came from Lucknow on July 16 with 12 more men for a monthly wage of Rs 18,000. Brick kiln owners fear a repeat of earlier years when attacks on migrant workers triggered an exodus, crippling businesses dependent on seasonal labour. “We came here for three months. We don’t think the situation is so bad that we should leave immediately,” Kumar assured.

Zakir Ansari, 23, from Bareilly said he and nine men reached Kashmir in early July through a contractor. “Our family called all night worried, but we told them we were fine,” he said, adding that security personnel visited and assured their safety. Lt governor Manoj Sinha chaired a security review and directed officials to protect migrant workers. CM Omar Abdullah condemned the killings and announced Rs 10 lakh each for the victims’ families, in addition to Rs 6 lakh being provided by district administration. Political ripples followed the killings. NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah questioned why such attacks surface whenever the demand for restoration of J&K’s statehood gathers momentum, drawing sharp criticism from BJP and PDP. BJP’s Sunil Sharma called the remarks “very strange”, while PDP functionary Iltija Mufti urged that “a moment of grief shouldn’t be politicised”.