" ‘It is like living in a nightmare that never ends’: Lost near the LoC".,16 May 2025

..Dawar town in Bandipora is quiet. It’s the administrative centre of Gurez Valley, an off-beat tourist destination near the Line of Control (LoC). ..The valley has been closed off by the authorities due to the recent terror attack and the military conflict that ensued between India and Pakistan between May 7 and May 10.

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..On April 22, a terrorist attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. Subsequently, the Jammu and Kashmir administration ordered the closure of 48 major tourist destinations, citing security concerns. Many seasonal migrants seek work every year in local businesses in these parts that are heavily dependent on tourism. The administration’s decision and the conflict that followed has not only hit these businesses, but also wiped out work and wages of workers, who are now deeply anxious, as they dip into their savings to stay afloat. 

.. The migrant workers in Bandipora district said that many who were living and working in Kashmir, had left for their home states on May 8, gripped by anxiety and fear. ..the closure of Gurez Valley has abruptly snapped all work opportunities that this region offered. ..Local contractors estimate that every year a few hundred migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar come to J&K’s border areas to work as labourers in construction, road repair and carpentry. ..At the height of the conflict, the authorities evacuated residents of Gurez Valley and relocated them to safe places in Bandpira town. However, most migrant workers are now forced to fend for themselves. Many said they had already exhausted their savings they had brought with them. ..For now, many workers are stuck in Bandipora town and are pooling money to stay in cramped rented rooms. ..Shutdowns in these border areas have disrupted the local economy given that many businesses are dependent on seasonal labourers.