Ekramul Sheikh from Nabagram in Murshidabad or Zahirul Haque and Salima Bibi from Nadia did not know any of the five labourers who were shot dead by militants at Kulgam in Kashmir on Tuesday. But they came all the way to Bahalnagar in Sagardighi area of Murshidabad district on Thursday afternoon to pay their respects to the deceased and take part in the namaz-e-janazah (funeral prayer). “None of the men were our relatives. We came here to express our solidarity for our brothers and participate in the funeral process,” said Ekramul. Around 4 am, the bodies of the five men — Naimuddin Sheikh, Murshalim Sheikh, Rafikul Sheikh, Rafique Sheikh and Kamaruddin Sheikh — were brought to Bahalnagar from Kashmir on Thursday morning. Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim accompanied the bodies and handed them over to the relatives. Shaken by the tragedy, villagers have spent sleepless nights since Tuesday. Around 3 am on Thursday, people started milling around the ground, where a makeshift structure was set up to keep the coffins. After Hakim reached Bahalnagar with the bodies, he said: “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has promised to be with the villagers. We are with you. The state government has already declared a Rs 5-lakh compensation for each of the deceased’s family. Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari will hand over the cheque to each family.” Hakim added, “Our chief minister has promised that the state government is ready to do anything to help any labourer who needs help in Kashmir.” “Everybody in India has the right to go any state. Not only people from our state go to other states, but people from other states also come to Bengal to work. We never attack them,” said Hakim. Later in the day, Adhikari handed over the compensation cheques to the families of the deceased. “Not only the state government, our district representatives have also donated their one-month salary for the cause. I have given Rs 2 lakh to the deceased’s family on their behalf.”
