Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

LABOUR EXODUS FROM VALLEY AFTER TELECOM CLAMPDOWN

- Toufiq Rashid ■ letters@hindustant­imes.com

A three-storey building in the heart of Srinagar’s old city downtown has for years been hosting migrant labourers, mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Over half of the 40 rooms in the building lie vacant as the labourers prefer to leave the Valley and only return when conditions improve.

However, it is not the curfew and violence that is forcing their exodus but the communicat­ion breakdown.

Labourers say families watching TV back home are a worried lot. “Labourers have no work owing to curfew. Many people are leaving as they cannot even contact their families back home,’’ said Parvesh Kumar, a painter from Bihar.

Kumar’s associate Ahmad Alam from Baroli Parkhand in Bihar says his wife was trying to contact him as his two-yearold son was ill. “She must have called 10 times but could not get through,’’ he added. They said of the 400 people residing in the building, there are only 50 left now.

The situation has also had a debilitati­ng effect on security personnel. A CRPF man posted at Nowhatta Chowk in the old city said he had not spoken to his family for 15 days.

“They must be wondering whether we are dead or alive,” he said.

“As many as 2,000 CRPF men have been injured. Our families must be wondering if we are among the injured. I hope our families are able to get in touch with us,’’ said a group of four CRPF personnel belonging to Bihar and Chhattisga­rh.

Meanwhile, a police constable, injured in the attack on a police station in Kulgam district on July 15, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.

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