Kulgam terror attack: ‘Kashmir has changed, will never go there again for better pay’

Kamaruddin’s wife Roshenara Bibi (28) said, “He went to Kashmir on October 3. He thought that in the apple and paddy harvesting season there, he will earn double compared to what he makes here and that would help our Rahima’s treatment. But now it’s all over. What I will do now?”

Since Tuesday night, when police came with the news, nobody in Bahalnagar has slept, say villagers. A pall of gloom envelopes the village as it waits for the bodies of the five labourers.

Bahalnagar, located about 200 km from Kolkata, has about 250 families. Most families are under the poverty line and a majority of the villagers work as labourers. During the harvest season in Bengal, they work in the paddy field or in other odd jobs. At other times, they go Kashmir or Kerala for better pay.

Besides Kamaruddin, those killed in the attack are Rafique Sheikh, Naimuddin Sheikh, Murshalim Sheikh and Rafikul Sheikh.

Rafique (52) was the sole earning member of his family and had been going to Kashmir for about two decades. He last spoke to his wife Samirun Bibi (40) on Monday and told her that work is over and he is preparing to return. Samirun said, “He will never return now. We have three daughters. Two of them are married. The third had some problems with her husband and now stays with me. His mother too stays with us. What will I do now?”

Abida Bibi, the neighbour of Naimuddin (38), said, “For about 18 years now, people from this village and neighbouring villages have been going to Kashmir for better pay. During the apple and paddy harvest season from October to December, a labourer makes Rs 500-700 a day there. Here, the daily income is Rs 200-250. But, never did our villagers face this type of an incident.”

Safiqul (30), the elder brother of Rafikul (22), said, “I have been to Kashmir several times, but never faced such a situation. Militants sometimes came and threatened us, but they never attacked us. But this year, after the special status was scrapped, the situation changed. Every year, 250-300 labourers used to go to Kashmir from here. This year, the number dropped to 50-60. But we never thought this can happen.”

“At 7.30 pm on Tuesday, my mother spoke to the apple garden owner who we call ‘malik’. He said all is well. Around 11 pm, police came. We had gone to sleep. They then called us and told us that Rafikul had died in a militant attack. We didn’t believe them at first. Then, the officer in charge said this has actually happened,” he added.

Sahir (34), the elder brother of Kamaruddin, has also been to Kashmir several times. “We have seen many terror attacks. But they never harmed labourers. What happened this time? The government should answer. We have lost everything. Who will compensate?” he said, adding, “Kashmir has changed. We will never go there for better pay again.”

While the other four lived in mud houses, Murshalim had got a pucca house built last year and decided to go to Kashmir for the paddy and apple harvest so that he could pay back loans, said his family members.

Since Wednesday morning, several political leaders, including Congress leader in Lok Sabha and Murshidabad MP Adhir Chowdhury visited the families of the five killed.