| With normalcy not yet in sight, outside workers leave Valley | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 17: Thousands of workers, particularly from Bihar, are leaving Kashmir valley, where violence since July 9 has claimed the lives of 42 people and more than 3500 others, half of them security personnel, have been injured.
"Though we did not face any threat, but due to curfew restrictions and strike called by separatist organizations, we are now jobless," the outside workers said.
Outside workers were seen boarding trucks, cabs and other available vehicles at Nowgam Bypass and other areas to leave for Jammu.
"Though there was no threat from locals, who are kind enough providing vegetables and some time rice and milk without any charge, but due to no work in view of the strike and curfew restriction, we have decided to leave for Punjab," said a group of workers boarding a truck at Byepass. "We have not earned a single rupee since July 9 when the expenditure is same as was before the unrest," they said.
Sharad Kumar, a painter from Bihar said besides paying rent for a room we also have to spend money to buy groceries. "It is therefore good to go to Punjab or any other state to work though the wages there are very less and the temperature is also high as compared to Kashmir," he added.
Similar sentiments were expressed by other workers, including Absar also from the village of Kumar. In the down town, the situation was worse as the outside workers remained confined in their rented rooms since July 9, when curfew was imposed in the entire down town and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK).
"We could not move out as curfew restrictions remained during the day and in the evening there are clashes between demonstrators and security forces," they said. "This has been going on almost daily since July 9," the workers said, adding large number have now already left while others are still waiting hoping for the situation to improve. |
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