1,500 labourers free Valley

By Shuchismita

Jammu

Aug. 17: Given the explosive situation in the Valley, around 1,500 labourers, from outside the state, along with their families on Sunday reached Jammu Railway Station from Srinagar and left for their respective destinations.

Their allegation was that they were forced to flee the Valley, owing to persistent harassment by the locals.

The first batch of the labourers, mainly from Bihar, reached Jammu Railway Station from Valley around 8.30 am and by 11.30 am their number (along with their families) swelled to around 2,000. Most of these labourers, who were working in different parts of the Valley, arrived here in State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses, which are plying during night hours for the past few days. Some even managed to come in the private transport.

One among these panic-stricken labourers Abdul Rehman, whose arm was plastered, while talking to media, claimed that he was beaten up by some persons there a couple of days back.

"During night they barged into the place where, I, along with my family and some other labourers, was staying. We’re beaten up to pulp and were threatened to leave the Valley. Same day we decided to leave, yet given the precarious situation we could not flee. Yesterday we boarded SRTC buses being plied during night hours," maintained Abdul Rehman. "Many labourers, both Hindus and Muslims, are still there waiting to flee but they have no money," said the harassed man.