Killings create fear among migrant workers in Kashmir

The latest targeting of minority community members and non-locals by militants in Kashmir has created a sense of fear among migrant workers, who come to the Valley for labour jobs.

Kashmir’s economy is intricately linked with the migrant workforce despite years of turmoil and violence. A few lakh migrant construction workers, vendors and labourers come to Kashmir to earn their livelihood. They are also hired during the sowing and harvesting of crops.

However, after the recent killing of Virender Paswan, a street vendor from Bihar's Bhagalpur district in Srinagar, these migrant workers are living in fear.

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“We feel scared as there is a lot of uncertainty and fear,” said Vikas, who has been travelling to Kashmir for seasonal work for years now.

Vikas along with his three colleagues are planning to leave Srinagar as soon as possible. This group of painters, who are putting up in Alamgari Bazar area of Srinagar have no idea why Paswan was killed.

“Our families back home are insisting that we return immediately, but we have a lot of pending work. Till we don’t finish the pending work, we can’t claim the full money from our customers,” Vikas added.

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His views were echoed by Zameer Ahmad, a mason from Bihar. “I have been coming to Kashmir for the last 25 years, but I was never as scared as I am now. We are poor people who have come here to earn their livelihood. But terrorists don’t care and can attack anybody,” he added.

Just two months after the revocation of J&K’s special status under Article 370, five Muslim labourers from West Bengal were killed by militants in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district in October 2019.

Fear and phobia of demographic change in Kashmir has driven the spate of attacks on minorities and non-local residents in the Valley in the last two years.

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“There’s a high probability that attacks on minorities and non-locals will happen again. The fears of demographic change that appear to be driving these killings, are unfounded as Pakistan is trying to incite violence in Kashmir,” a senior police officer told DH.