Rs 1,000 A Day In Kashmir Vs Rs 600 In Chhattisgarh: Labourers' Quest For Better Life Ended In Kulgam Terror Attack

Last Updated:August 01, 2026, 22:29 IST

The two labourers from Chhattisgarh were shot from point-blank range at a brick kiln in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam on Friday evening.

The promise of better wages continues to draw labourers from Chhattisgarh to Jammu and Kashmir despite the long distance and uncertainty. For two young workers, that search for a better livelihood ended in tragedy after terrorists shot them dead at a brick kiln in Kulgam district on Friday evening.

Deepak Ratre, 24, and Bhupinder Bhaina, 25, had travelled more than 1,500 km from Chhattisgarh to work at a brick kiln, hoping to earn more than they could back home.

Higher wages drew workers to Kashmir

Deepak had travelled to Kashmir for work five times. Before leaving for Kashmir in June, he had also worked in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. According to Deepak’s family, as quoted by an Indian Express report, he and his wife earned around Rs 1,000 a day in Kashmir, depending on the availability of work. In Chhattisgarh, they earned around Rs 600 a day, where work was also less certain.

Deepak’s mother worked alongside the couple, while his disabled younger brother stayed back to look after their two-year-old child. His uncles worked at another site around 50 to 70 km away from where he was killed, said the Indian Express report.

Deepak had hoped to build a house of his own and was also repaying a marriage loan of Rs 50,000.

Family never got to say goodbye

The grief for Deepak’s family was made worse because his body was cremated in Kashmir and could not be brought back home.

According to his uncle, Dilharan Sande, Deepak’s father died by suicide when he was four years old. After that, Deepak, his mother and younger brother moved into the joint family of his uncles in Hardidh village in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district.

“His younger brother is disabled since birth. We looked after their education, work and marriage. Our biggest pain is that we never got a chance to bid him goodbye," Sande said.

Speaking about the tragedy, his brother Manoj Ratre said, “Last night, at around 8 pm, he was asked where he belonged. He said he is a Hindu, and he was killed. He had gone to the Pulwama area of Kashmir about two or three months ago to work. We received information from the administration that he was killed in a terrorist attack. Our entire family is devastated by this tragedy."

Kulgam attack

The two labourers were shot from point-blank range at a brick kiln in Kulgam on Friday evening.

According to Bhupinder’s maternal uncle, Ganpat Bhaina, the attackers allegedly verified the identities of the workers before opening fire. “Before killing them, the terrorists asked them their names and religion, and checked their Aadhaar cards," he claimed.

“They called them out of their jhuggis while their wives were probably preparing food."

Ganpat, who also works in Kashmir, said he learnt about the incident from a relative working near the brick kiln where the attack took place. He added that after legal formalities, both bodies were cremated in Kulgam.

Bhupinder’s first Kashmir visit ended in tragedy

For Bhupinder, this was his first visit to Kashmir. He had been working there for the last four to five months after earlier working as a construction labourer in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh.

He had travelled to Kulgam with his wife to make bricks, leaving behind their young son with his minor sister in Chhattisgarh.

Bhupinder was critically injured in the attack. He was first admitted to Government Medical College, Anantnag, before being shifted to SKIMS Srinagar after surgery, where he died on Saturday morning.

Originally from Chhuiha village in Chhattisgarh’s Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district, Bhupinder was the eldest of three siblings and had left school after Class VIII.

“My brother had been working in Jammu and Kashmir for the last four to five months. On Friday night, I received a call from my maternal uncle, Ganpat, informing me that Bhupinder had been shot by terrorists. He has left behind his wife and their young son," his younger brother Anurag said as quoted by the Indian Express.

He said their parents, Dashrath Bhaina and Nageshwari Bhaina, were in poor health and were not in a position to travel to Kashmir. “Our parents are not well, and we are not in a position to travel to Kashmir. The authorities informed us that my brother’s last rites would be performed there," he said.

Anurag added that labourers earn around Rs 150-250 more per day outside Chhattisgarh than they do in the state.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh each for the families of the two victims.

About the Author

Shuddhanta Patra

Shuddhanta Patra, a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience, serves as Senior Sub‑Editor at CNN News 18. With expertise across national politics, geopolitics, business news, she has influen...Read More

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