6 labourers killed in Valley on day of EU group’s visit
All victims from West Bengal; seventh such attack on migrant workers since abrogation of Art 370 on Aug 5; 12 shot dead in less than 3 weeks
SRINAGAR: Militants gunned down six migrant labourers on Tuesday in Jammu & Kashmir’s (J&K) Kulgam district, the fifth attack in two weeks in which people from outside the state have been targeted. The incident came on a day a group of 23 European lawmakers met senior army and administration officials in the Valley, stoking violent protests in several parts of the region.
Police sources said that the militants came to Katrasoo village of Kulgam, took out the masons and carpenters from outside the state working there and opened fire at them, killing five of them on the spot. The sixth succumbed to his injuries while being taken to a hospital.
“Five bullet-ridden bodies were discovered from the room where these labourers were staying,” said police officials.
Five of those killed were identified as Sheikh Kamrudin, Sheikh M Rafiq, Sheikh Murnsulin, Sheikh Nizam-ud Din and Mohd Rafiq Sheikh. The identity of the sixth victim is yet to be ascertained.
All the victims were from Murshidabad district in West Bengal. Police said a high alert had been sounded in the area.
In the past two weeks, militants have killed four truck drivers, a trader from Punjab, and a migrant labourer from Rajasthan. The total number of victims from outside the state in this period now stands at 12.
Tens of thousands of migrant labourers had fled the Valley in the weeks after the nullification of Article 370, which bestowed special status on J&K, on August 5. But experts estimate that many more remain at work in Kashmir and are becoming the target of militants.
Earlier in the day, the European lawmakers — the first international group to visit Kashmir since August 5 — went to the army headquarters in Srinagar, where they were briefed by chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam and police chief Dilbag Singh.
Residents voiced anger that the federal government was trying to show the delegation Kashmir was returning to normal, even as most mobile phone and Internet connections remain severed and daily life disrupted by a security clamp-down.
The old city of Srinagar, which houses roughly a third of the its two million population, saw a number of clashes as young men and women leapt over barbed wires to hurl stones at the police, which retaliated with tear gas shells and pellets.
A senior official said at least 30 incidents of stone pelting and protests were reported from different parts of Kashmir. Roads were deserted and street vendors were missing despite restrictions having been relaxed in most parts of the region.
Meanwhile, the United Nations also expressed concern about the condition of Kashmiris and urged India to fully restore their rights. “We are extremely concerned that the population In Kashmir continues to be deprived of a wide range of human rights and we urge the Indian authorities to unlock the situation and fully restore the rights that are currently being denied,” said Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Several Opposition politicians in J&K alleged that they weren’t allowed to meet the team. “We did attempt to approach the authorities for a meeting with EU delegation. Unfortunately there was no response. The government didn’t respond to our request,’’ said Hasnain Masoodi, the National Conference MP from Anantnag.
JAMMU :Amidst a pall of gloom at Sera Kotla village near Kakriyal in Katra, four minor children of a truck driver who was shot dead by terrorists in a south Kashmir village, bid adieu to their father on Tuesday.
Truck driver Narayan Dutt,43, had gone to pick a consignment of apples for a Delhi fruit market when he was shot dead by terrorists at Bijbehara in Anantnag district on Monday. He was the fourth trucker killed by terrorists in south Kashmir in the past three weeks. Earlier an apple trader from Punjab and a labourer from Chhattisgarh were killed by terrorists.
The mother of the four minor children had died a few years ago.
“My father had gone to Kashmir for ferrying a consignment of apples to Delhi but terrorists killed him,” his daughter said.
Dutt’s youngest daughter said her father had promised to come home for Diwali.
“On Monday evening we got a call that he has been killed. What did they get by killing my father. The government must end terrorism,” she added.
Her brother said following the killing of their father, there was no one to look after them. Village sarpanch Bansi Lal said five years ago the mother of these children had passed away. Dutt’s killing has orphaned these children, he added.
Reasi district magistrate Indu Kanwal Chib said the state government has provided an immediate relief of ₹1 lakh to the children and the administration has also decided to provide them free education and ration.
“They have a paternal uncle, who looks after them. We have made him their guardian. A team of officials from integrated child development services have been assigned the task of ensuring free education to the children. The administration will also provide them free BPL ration,” Chib said.