‘We Are Alive...How Will We Explain to Others Back Home?’, Say 2 Surviving Bengal Labourers

Srinagar: Both Sadar Sarkar and Abu Bakr Sheikh left their rented room in Kulgam’s Katroos village in South Kashmir early morning on Wednesday as they were traveling back home today. They worked as labourers in the village with seven others, all of them from Murshidabad, West Bengal. Moments later they were told the others had been killed by suspected militants.

Both of them broke down. Among those killed was the brother-in-law of Abu Bakr and cousin Sadar, and all of them were like brothers. “We are alive... how will we explain that to others back home,” Sadar says.

The two carried their packed bags and lived a little ahead of the room where the others were putting up.  It was a dark room on the first floor with a single window overlooking the Katroos market. A worn-out narrow wooden staircase led to the unfurnished room where the rest stayed.

On Tuesday night, around 7 p.m, suspected militants barged inside their room and abducted six labourers. The seventh was not present, as he had gone to a neighbour’s house to get some dinner. When he came back, he found the room empty, and the apples they planned to carry home, scattered on the floor.

The suspected militants had taken them to another alley in the market, near a butcher’s shop, and fired on them indiscriminately, killing five of them instantly. According to police, the slain were later identified as Rafiq Sheikh, Rafiq ul Sheikh, Qamar Din Sheikh, Mursalim Sheikh and Najamuddin Sheikh, all of them from West Bengal. Zahoor-uddin, however, survived the firing and is currently being treated at a Srinagar hospital, his condition is stable.

“I was home when I heard a burst of gunfire. It coincided with the Azaan for evening prayers,” a local shopkeeper told NewsClick.

The police and personnel from Army from 9 RR cordoned off the area in Kulgam as soon as they arrived at the spot. “They were occupied as labour by a local orchard owner. All of them had firearm injuries and we are investigating the incident currently,” a police officer said.

Seventh Attack on Non-Locals

This is the seventh attack by suspected militants in Kashmir against non-locals. 11 non-locals have been killed so far in October, increasing fear and tension across the valley.

The attacks began on October 14 when suspected militants carried out an attack in South Kashmir’s Sheermal village of Shopian, killing a truck driver Sharif Khan from Rajasthan. Since then, more attacks were carried out against non-locals working in Kashmir including apple traders, labourers and truck drivers.

Earlier, in August, the government issued an advisory directing all tourists to leave the Valley immediately following which a massive clampdown was enforced across Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 and subsequent bifurcation of the state into two Union territories. The government, however, later in October issued another advisory calling for the return of the tourists as restrictions were eased.

The nine non-local labourers in Kulgam, according to residents, had returned back about a month ago after leaving for the first time in August. “We all knew them closely as they have been working here for more than a decade in this village,” Abdul Salam, the village head said.

The locals of Katroos, a village of around 400 households, are in shock after the incident unfolded in their area.

“We did not leave our homes since we heard the gunshots. We do not go for evening prayers in the mosque due to the fear,” a local says.

Following the incident, the police and Army are questioning locals over the incident. Eight persons from the village, including the landlord of the slain victims, Bilal Ahmad, have been detained.

The forces early morning announced a crackdown in the area, calling all men to assemble in the nearby Jamia mosque at about 10 a.m. They were later asked to move towards a nearby Army camp. The crackdown was, however, later called off.

“They have taken our mobile phones including my mothers and my wife’s phone. We have been asked to report to the camp in groups now,” a local said.