News Analysis India

Tag: Kashmir

  • Fleeing terror, many migrants say they may not ever come back to Kashmir again

    By PTI

    JAMMU: “It is the last gift from Kashmir. I will not go there again to earn my livelihood,” said a distraught Mintu Singh, a labourer from Chattisgargh, holding a cricket bat.

    Like him, scores of migrant labourers and their families have fled the Valley, saying they have experienced “hell” in the last couple of weeks after terrorists carried out targeted killings of 11 non-locals.

    Many said they may not ever come back to Kashmir again.

    Ajay Kumar of Besangoan, Bihar, who fled along with his wife Sarita and two kids from a brick kiln at Pulwama in South Kashmir and reached Jammu railway station, wept bitterly saying his employer refused to pay Rs 27,000 in pending wages.

    Several others had the same complaint and appealed to authorities to intervene.

    “I am very unhappy leaving the valley. This has become hell. We come here to earn for our families not to get killed on streets,” said Chintu Singh, who had been working for four-five months every year in the Valley for over a decade now.

    “I brought this gift (cricket bat) from Kashmir for a friend’s children. It is the last gift from Kashmir. I will not come to Kashmir again to earn livelihood. The situation is very bad due to fear and terror there (as result of killings)”, said Singh, who fled along with a group of 20 Hindu labourers working in a brick kiln in Pulwama district.

    Thousands of labourers, mostly Hindus and some Muslims, from different states arrived at railway stations and bus stands in Jammu and Udhampur after leaving the Valley.

    While some labourers said that their wages were paid, there were others who complained that they were driven out by employers in the valley forcibly without their wages.

    “We had no money. I along with my wife and two children got some money from others and left the valley. The owner forced us out without paying us the remaining wages”, said Ajay Kumar and showed a diary with his wage bill.

    Like him, Ram Sharan and Santosh Kumar of Bihar, and Rakesh Dass and Alok Chand Darma (Chattisgarh) also complained about non-payment of wages and urged authorities to facilitate the transfer of their wages from their employers in Kashmir valley.

    Chunni Devi from Jharkhand, who reached Jammu railway station in a Tata Sumo vehicle from Kashmir along with her husband and children, said, “We came to Kashmir after getting to know it is paradise of earth. But it is not paradise. It is hell.”

    “They have shown us pictures of hell. They killed innocent Hindu labourers. We will never come to Kashmir to work again”.

    She said that they were living in constant fear after the killings.

    “Our parents and family in Jharkhand were also anxious for our safety. Now we are in Jammu. There is no fear. We will go to Punjab, Haryana or Delhi to earn our livelihood, but not Kashmir,” she said.

    The labourers complained they received little help from the administration and the police.

    “Our employer told us (30 labourers) to leave for our home. He told us to go to the police. We spent these days in trauma due to the fear of killings. No one helped us”, Mohmmad Jabaar of Bihar said.

  • Targeted killing of Bihari migrants in Jammu and Kashmir matter of serious concern: Nitish Kumar

    By PTI

    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday condemned the targeted killing of Bihari migrant workers in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the incidents have created an “environment of fear”.

    Kumar said he has spoken to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and senior Bihar officials are in touch with their counterparts in the union territory over the incidents.

    “It’s a matter of serious concern that people who have gone for work are being deliberately targeted in J&K. Authorities concerned must remain alert to check such incidents there,” he told reporters after winding up his public interaction programme ‘Janata Ke Durbar Mein Mukhyamantri’ (Chief Minister in the Court of People).

    Two labourers from Bihar were gunned down by terrorists in Kulgam district on Sunday, taking the number of civilians killed in targeted attacks in J&K this month to 11.

    Another labourer sustained bullet injury.

    Kumar said he has conveyed his concern over the killings to Sinha.

    “Every citizen is free to go to any corner of the country for work. The latest incident in which two labourers from Bihar were killed in J&K is quite serious as militants barged into the accommodation of the victims and fired on them. Their bodies are being brought back to Bihar,” he said.

    Sunday’s was the third attack on non-local labourers in less than 24 hours.

    The deceased have been identified as Raja Rishidev and Joginder Rishidev, while Chunchun Rishidev was injured.

    Arvind Kumar Sah, a golgappa seller, was shot dead a few days ago.

    “I hope that J&K authorities will now be alert and make adequate security arrangements to ensure that no one, especially migrant workers, is attacked there. They should obtain information about migrant workers and the place where they are residing,” Kumar said.

    The Bihar government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, and issued instructions to the department of labour and social welfare to ensure that benefits under relevant schemes reach the bereaved families.

    Meanwhile, former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has also condemned the killings and even targeted the prime minister and the union home minister.

    “I’m deeply upset because our Bihari brothers are being killed in Kashmir. If Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are unable to improve the situation in Kashmir, then they should leave it to us Biharis, we will turn things around in 15 days,” said Manjhi in a tweet.

    The terror attacks have drawn strong condemnation from political parties across the spectrum.

  • Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemns ‘despicable terror attack’ in Kulgam

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday condemned the “despicable terror attack” in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, saying the security forces will give a befitting reply.

    Terrorists shot dead two workers from Bihar and injured another after barging into their accommodation in Kulgam in south Kashmir on Sunday, the latest in a series of attacks on non-locals, officials said.

    “I strongly condemn the despicable terror attack on Civilians in Kulgam. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of injured,” Sinha said in a tweet.

    He was reacting to the killing of two nob-local labourers in Kulgam district earlier in the evening.

    “Our security force will give a befitting reply to terrorists. J&K govt stand by the families in this time of grief,” the LG said.

  • Two more non-local labourers shot dead by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Terrorists shot dead two non-local labourers and injured another on Sunday in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, the latest in the series of attacks targeting civilians.

    “Terrorists fired indiscriminately upon #NonLocal labourers at Wanpoh area of #Kulgam. In this #terror incident, 02 non-locals were killed and 01 injured,” Kashmir zone Police said on its Twitter handle.

    It said police and security forces have cordoned off the area.

    According to officials, the militants barged into the rented accommodation of the labourers and fired on them indiscriminately.

    This is the third attack on non-local labourers in less than 24 hours.

    A street vendor from Bihar and a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh were shot dead by the ultras on Saturday evening.

    Amid the spate of civilian killings, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had on Sunday vowed to avenge every drop of their blood by hunting down terrorists and their sympathisers.

    Sinha said attempts are being made to disrupt the peace and socio-economic progress of Jammu and Kashmir and the individual growth of people, and reiterated the commitment to the fast-paced development of the Union territory.

    “I pay my heartfelt tributes to the martyr civilians and condolences to the bereaved families. We’ll hunt down terrorists, their sympathisers and avenge every drop of innocent civilians’ blood,” Sinha said in his monthly radio programme ‘Awaam ki Awaaz’.

    BJP state spokesman Altaf Thakur while condemning the killings said it was “nothing but pure genocide”.

    “The gruesome murder of non-locals is nothing but inhuman and shows the frustration of militants,” he said.

  • Kashmir will never become Pakistan, will remain part of India even if I am killed: Farooq Abdullah 

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Kashmir will never become Pakistan as we are a part of India and will remain so even if I am killed, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said here on Wednesday.

    Speaking at a condolence meeting for Supinder Kaur, the fallen principal of a government school in Eidgah who was shot dead by militants on October 7 at a Gurdwara here, Abdullah said the people of Kashmir have to be courageous and fight the killers together.

    “We have to fight these beasts. This (Kashmir) will never become Pakistan, remember it. We are a part of India and we will remain a part of India come what may. They cannot change it even if they shoot me,” Abdullah, the Member of Lok Sabha from Srinagar, said.

    Expressing grief over Kaur’s killing, he said the Sikh community did not leave the Kashmir valley in the 1990s when others left due to fear and appealed to them to not get scared now.

    We have to keep our morale high and be courageous, he said.

    “We all have to fight them together with courage and not be afraid. You (Sikhs) were the only community that remained here when everyone left. I am proud of the fact that you did not leave here. Killing a teacher who was teaching young students does not serve Islam. They were serving the devil,” he said.

    Talking to reporters outside the gurdwara, the NC president said: “They (militants) will never succeed and will fail in their plans. But, we all — Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians — have to stand together to fight them”.

    Abdullah said there is a “storm of hate” across India and communities –Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs — “are being divided”.

    “This divisive politics has to be stopped, otherwise India will cease to exist. If we have to save India, then we all have to live together and only then will it move forward,” he said.

    Asked about leader Devender Rana quitting the NC and joining the BJP, Abdullah said: “People come and go. It is not a big deal”.

  • TRF militant involved in October 5 killing of sumo driver killed in encounter in Kashmir: Police

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: Police on Monday said a TRF militant, who was involved in the October 5 killing of sumo driver in Shahgund area of Bandipora, was killed in an encounter with troops at Hajin area of Bandipora in north Kashmir.

    The encounter had broken out in the Gund Jehangir, Hajin area of Bandipora in the early hours today after police, CRPF and army in a joint operation laid siege around the area after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the village.

    The IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said TRF militant Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar was killed in the encounter.

    He said Imtiyaz was involved in the killing of sumo driver Mohammad Shafi Lone at Shahgund area of Bandipora on October 5.

    Police had yesterday busted a militant module of TRF by arresting four militant associates, who were involved in conspiracy behind killing of the sumo driver.

    On October 5, militants had shot dead three civilians – Lone, prominent Kashmiri Pandit businessman and chemist M L Bindroo and non local street vendor from Bihar Virender Paswan at three places in Valley.  While Bindroo and Paswan were killed in Srinagar Lone was shot dead in Bandipora in north Kashmir.

    After busting a TRF militant module yesterday, police had said investigation had found that the killing was carried out at the behest and instruction of TRF handler Lala Umar R/o Pakistan.

    Meanwhile, a militant was killed and a policeman injured in a separate encounter at Khagund, Verinag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district in the early hours today.

  • Kashmir civilian killings: Police busts militant module involved in sumo driver’s death; four OGWs held

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: Five days killing of sumo driver in Hajin, Bandipora in north Kashmir, Police on Sunday claimed to have busted a module of TRF militants by arresting four militant associates while one Over Ground Worker (OGW) involved in the killing has gone into hiding and reportedly joined the militant ranks.

    Earlier on October 5, three civilians – a prominent Kashmiri Pandit businessman M L Bindroo, non-local street vendor from Bihar Virender Paswan and sumo driver Mohammad Shafi Lone – were shot dead by militants in three separate incidents. 

    While Bindroo and Paswan were killed in Srinagar, Lone was shot dead in Bandipora in north Kashmir.

    A police official said a special team of police was formed to investigate the killing of Mohammad Shafi Lone alias Sonu, Sumo Drivers Association president Naidkhai (Bandipora) at Hajin in Bandipora by militants on October 5.  “After thorough human and technical corroboration, the module of TRF militant outfit involved in Lone’s killing was busted by arresting four militant associates of the outfit,” the official said.

    ALSO READ: At least 500 people detained in J&K amid sweeping crackdown on ‘targetted’ deaths

    The arrested persons were identified as Tariq Ahmad Dar alias Tariq Khoucha, Mohammad Shafi Dar, Mudasir Hassan Lone and Bilal Ah Dar alias Sahb Khoucha.

    “However, one of the militant associate involved in the killing, identified as Imtiyaz Ah Dar alias Kotru, is absconding and has reportedly joined the militant ranks,” the official said.

    He said investigation found that the killing was carried out at the behest and instruction of TRF handler Lala Umar R/o Pakistan.

    “The module carried out a thorough recce of the target and all movements were closely watched,” the official said.

    He said on October 5 evening, one of the militant associates called the victim for a meeting at Gundboon, Hajin. “A detailed ambush/trap had already been laid by the other members of the module and when Lone reached the place, he was swiftly assassinated.”

    According to the official, more arrests are expected.

  • LeT terrorist killed in Srinagar encounter, another flees

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: Amid a spike in militancy violence in Kashmir over the past few days, a terrorist was killed after a brief encounter with security forces at Natipora area in uptown Srinagar on Friday evening while another managed to escape.

    A police officer said the terrorists fired upon a police party, which retaliated killing a A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative. “Another militant managed to escape from the area,” he said, adding that arms and ammunitions were recovered from the encounter site.

    Contingents of police and CRPF men rushed to the area and launched cordon and search operation to track down the militant who escaped. An identity card recovered from the slain terrorist revealed his name as Aqib Bashir Kumar, a resident of Trenz, Shopian.

    The encounter follows the killing of seven civilians, including three minority community members and a non-local street vendor from Bihar, by the terrorists within a week in Kashmir. After the civilian killings, security arrangements in Srinagar and other parts of Valley has been beefed up and patrolling intensified.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to hold discussions with Jammu and Kashmir Lt-Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday on the security situation in the Union Territory in the wake of the targeted killings, especially those of Hindus and Sikhs. Top officials of the Union Home Ministry, intelligence agencies and the J&K administration are expected to attend the meeting that will take place in New Delhi. 

  • Centre’s ‘fake narrative of normalcy’ in tatters after civilian killings in Kashmir: Mehbooba

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: A day after three civilians including a prominent Kashmiri Pandit businessman and Bindroo Medicate pharmacy owner Makhan Lal Bindroo were shot dead by militants in Srinagar, PDP chief and former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said with the recent spate of civilian killings in Kashmir, the Centre’s ‘fake narrative of normalcy’ lies in tatters.

    “With the recent spate of civilian killings in Kashmir GOIs fake narrative of normalcy lies in tatters. An utterly desensitised govt that has devalued human lives & pushed J&K into further peril & chaos by its ruthless policies of collective punishment all in the garb of security,” Mehbooba tweeted.

    ALSO READ: J&K: Militants kill Kashmiri Pandit who didn’t flee valley after 1990

    Apart from Bindroo, a non-local street vendor (selling golgappas) Virendra Paswan from Bihar and a local (Sumo Association president, Naidkhai, Bandipora) Mohammad Shafi were shot dead by militants on Tuesday evening within a span of a few hours.

    Bindroo was shot dead in his shop at Iqbal Park area of uptown Srinagar, Paswan was killed at Lal Bazar, the downtown locality of Srinagar, and Shafi was shot dead in Hajin area of Bandipora in north Kashmir.

    Earlier, on October 2, two civilians were shot dead by militants in Srinagar.

  • Videos of verbal spat between two Jammu and Kashmir BJP leaders go viral

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: A verbal duel broke out between two BJP leaders at a party meeting here shortly before Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s arrival on Saturday.

    Videos of the verbal spat, some recorded by reporters present at the BJP’s office in Jawahar Nagar, went viral on social media.

    Minutes before the Union minister’s arrival, an argument broke out between BJP leaders Ali Mohammad and Mohammad Ashraf.

    Bjp Leader Ali Mohammad and Bjp leader Mohammad Ashraf abusing each other at Jawahar Nagar party office….Watch Video….Courtesy: Gulistan TV pic.twitter.com/zviOnu808m
    — Kashmir News Trust (@knewstrust) September 25, 2021
    The argument became intense and two leaders were stopped by others present there from getting into a fistfight, according to the videos.

    Media personnel present at the venue filmed the duel on their smartphones and the videos of the incident were posted on several social media platforms.

    A party leader said there was an argument over a ‘non-issue’ which turned into an altercation, but the other party leaders promptly resolved the matter before the Union minister’s arrival.

    Scindia addressed party workers at the BJP office.