Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani has asked Kashmiris not to allow five-lakh-odd “outsiders”
mostly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, to trample upon their culture. Shortage of labourers in most parts of the Valley has led to an increase in migration of workers from other states to Jammu & Kashmir, and Geelani sees threat to Kashmiri culture from the “outsiders”.
In 2008 as well, Geelani had warned labourers from Bihar to leave the Valley, and thousands of workers left the state after five members of a family from Bihar were killed in a hand grenade attack at Batamaloo. The non-Kashmiris in the state are frightened by Geelani’s latest diktat because the last time too the attack on outsiders was preceded by dire warnings of threat to Kashmiri culture.
However, the so-called threat died down and migrant labourers continued to arrive in Srinagar for work. Today, a majority of such labourers work in rural areas and are profitably employed by Kashmiris. Geelani’s call has alarmed them as well, particularly since they do not see any threat to their culture.
mostly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, to trample upon their culture. Shortage of labourers in most parts of the Valley has led to an increase in migration of workers from other states to Jammu & Kashmir, and Geelani sees threat to Kashmiri culture from the “outsiders”.
In 2008 as well, Geelani had warned labourers from Bihar to leave the Valley, and thousands of workers left the state after five members of a family from Bihar were killed in a hand grenade attack at Batamaloo. The non-Kashmiris in the state are frightened by Geelani’s latest diktat because the last time too the attack on outsiders was preceded by dire warnings of threat to Kashmiri culture.
However, the so-called threat died down and migrant labourers continued to arrive in Srinagar for work. Today, a majority of such labourers work in rural areas and are profitably employed by Kashmiris. Geelani’s call has alarmed them as well, particularly since they do not see any threat to their culture.
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