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

Published 1 August 2026 · india

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

Rs 1,000 A Day In Kashmir Vs Rs 600 In Chhattisgarh: Labourers' Quest For Better Life Ended In Kulgam Terror Attack Published By, 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. A Security Force Officer At Dal Lake In Srinagar. (PTI file for representation) 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.