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Fewer Number of Non-Kashmiris Leaving Kashmir Now

By Fayaz Wani

The repeated call from the separatist and pro-Indian political leaders to non-Kashmiri laborers and artisans asking them not to leave restive Kashmir Valley has begun to show results. Only fewer numbers of non-Kashmiris are leaving the violence-hit Kashmir, nowadays.

Today, only a few non-Kashmiri laborers and artisans were seen boarding the buses for Jammu to leave for their respective places in different Indian states. "I am leaving because my other colleagues have left back to their residences", said Nitish of the Indian state of Bihar.

There were no queues of non-Kashmiri laborers at the ticket counter in Srinagar. An official at the ticket counter told Newsblaze that the flow of non-Kashmiri laborers leaving Kashmir is declining with each passing day. "Last week, most of the buses leaving for Jammu were carrying the non-Kashmiri laborers and artisans, but the trend has changed now and fewer numbers of non-Kashmiri laborers and artisans are quitting Kashmir", he said.

The buses, tempo travelers and sumo operators also agree that the trend of non-Kashmiri laborers quitting Kashmir has been arrested.

"After the calls from militant and separatist groups urged us to stay back, there is no urgency to leave Kashmir now", said a laborer from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He said that initially he and 10 of his colleagues decided to leave Kashmir, but now with the situation coming back to normal, they have decided not to quit Kashmir.

"The criminals, who have committed the heinous crime of abduction, rape of a teenage girl should not be spared and stern punishment should be awarded to them", he added.

Police sources too confirmed that lesser number of non-Kashmiri laborers and artisans are leaving Kashmir now. "We hope that within next few days, the trend of non-Kashmiri laborers quitting Kashmir would be totally arrested and not a single non-Kashmiri laborer or artisan would leave Kashmir until the working season is over", they added.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.