The Pahalgam attack crashed the Valley’s tourism sector with very few tourists visiting Kashmir. Migrant labourers, however, are making their way back to the region, though in lower numbers compared to previous years.
Every year in March, Kashmir witnesses the arrival of thousands of labourers from States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. These workers play a crucial role in powering the region’s informal sector — from construction sites to agriculture farms and brick kilns.
This year, however, the inflow has been more measured.
“The migrants labourers are coming, but in lower numbers,” said a brick kiln owner from Kulgam.
He added that there had been 30 to 40 per cent dip in their arrivals.
Lack of choice
Security concerns following the Pahalgam attack, which left 26 tourists and a local pony operator dead, have dampened not just tourism but also the movement of seasonal labourers. Yet, many workers have still chosen to come.
“I have heard about the Pahalgam incident, but there is no work back home. If I had not come here, I would not have been able to feed my family,” said Mansoor Ansari, a labourer who works near a construction site in Srinagar.
Ansari is among the thousands of workers who arrived in Kashmir over the last three weeks.
“This year, many delayed their travel amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack,” Ansari added.
According to recent data from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, based on the 2011 census, Jammu and Kashmir recorded an inter-State migrant worker population of 1,22,587.
Lucrative wages
Migrant workers are drawn to the Valley due to its better-paying informal employment opportunities in sectors like construction, agriculture, and manual labour. Daily wages in the region typically range from ₹600 to ₹800 – much higher than what many labourers earn in other States.
Additionally, Kashmir’s moderate climate during the summer provides a more bearable working environment, further encouraging the seasonal arrival of labourers in the region.
Undeterred labourers
Migrant labourers continue to trickle into Kashmir despite having faced attacks by militants in the past. After the Central government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special Constitutional status, militants targeted dozens of non-local labourers.
Last year, militants from The Resistance Front ( TRF), an off-shoot of Lashkar-e-Toiba, shot dead 6 migrant labourers near a construction site at Gangangir in Ganderbal district .
The attacks, however, did not discourage the non-local labourers from returning to the Valley in search of work.