From 2000 To 2026: Migrant Workers In Kashmir Remain In Terror's Crosshairs

Last Updated:August 02, 2026, 02:38 IST

Officials say such attacks are intended not only to kill but also to spread fear and discourage migrant workers from coming to the Valley

On August 1, 2000, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed one of the deadliest days in its history, as a series of coordinated terrorist attacks left more than 100 people dead, including Amarnath pilgrims, migrant labourers and civilians, at six different locations in less than 12 hours. It was one of the bloodiest episodes of civilian violence in the region, targeting pilgrims, migrant workers, villagers and families across multiple districts.

Among the attacks was the massacre of migrant labourers working at brick kilns in Qazigund in Kulgam and Achabal in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. According to survivors, the attackers entered the labour camps during the night in 2000, ordered the male workers to step outside, separated them from the women, and then opened indiscriminate fire. Twenty-seven labourers, most of them from Bihar, were killed.

Now, 26 years later, around the same date, terrorists have once again targeted migrant workers in Kulgam, killing two labourers from Chhattisgarh who were employed at a brick kiln.

On Friday evening, gunfire shattered the routine at the brick kiln after the workers had finished their day’s work. Deepak Ratre, 24, and Bhupendra, 28, were shot at close range in the upper body. Deepak was declared brought dead at the hospital, while Bhupendra was referred to a hospital in Srinagar, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Brick kilns in Kashmir have long depended on seasonal migrant workers from states such as Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Every year, thousands travel to the Valley to work in brick manufacturing, construction, horticulture and other sectors.

In Hablish, a village near Kilam, where the two labourers were killed, it was anything but a normal day at the K2 brick kiln. Workers from Uttar Pradesh had not resumed their regular work following the attack.

“We were unaware of the incident. We get tired after working all day and sleep early. The owner has told us not to step outside," Owais, a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh, told News18, explaining that economic hardship leaves them with little choice but to work in Kashmir.

“Each kiln has at least 50 workers, and almost all of them are from outside the Union Territory," he said, adding that despite the attack, they were not living in fear.

Officials say such attacks are intended not only to kill but also to spread fear and discourage migrant workers from coming to the Valley. Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, there have been several targeted attacks on migrant labourers and members of minority communities.

A local resident told News18 that there are around a dozen brick kilns in Kilam and the surrounding villages, employing a significant number of migrant workers every season. Recalling the 2000 incident of a targeted attack on brick kiln labourers, he said that the attack had led labourers to leave Kashmir, with many being convinced by then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah to return.

“Our families called us after the incident and asked us to return home, but we refused. We come to Kashmir for only three to four months every year for work. I arrived here on the 16th of last month," Sunil Kumar, a 35-year-old migrant labourer, told News18 while he looked for flour at a local shop.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level security review meeting following the attack to assess the situation and direct an intensified counter-terror response, while CM Omar Abdullah announced ex gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the families of the deceased.

The cremation of both Deepak and Bhupendra was carried out in Kulgam district, far from their homes in Chhattisgarh. Separated by more than two decades, the attacks of 2000 and 2026 are bound by the same tragic thread. Migrant labourers who came to Kashmir in search of a livelihood became victims of bullets instead.

About the Author

Ieshan Wani

Ieshan Wani, senior correspondent, CNN-News18, has over eight years of experience in reporting, producing and editing news for broadcast, digital and print platforms. His reporting has mostly been fro...Read More

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