Mohsina Yaseen
Srinagar, Aug 16 (KB): A growing number of casual labourers engaged with the Wildlife Department in five divisions of Kashmir have been on an unabated protest, locally known as the “Kam Chod Hartaal.”
The workers are protesting for the immediate release of their pending wages and the formal submission of their employment details to the authorities—a process that has been pending for years.
Both angry and tired but resolute in their stance, the protesters held a sit-in outside the Chief Wildlife Warden’s office. Slamming the administration for ‘neglect and exploitation’, the protesters have been working as the backbone of wildlife conservation in the area.
The workers often become the first respondents in cases of man-animal conflicts and forest fires. They have alleged that despite performing such a crucial work, they have been overlooked and underpaid.
“We have been working for more than 20 years; our wages are meagre, and our status continues to be that of casual labourers. The administration has repeatedly ignored our demands, forcing us onto the streets,” said one of the protesters.
The protesters claimed that the monthly wage of Rs 9300, which is the norm in other departments, remains a distant dream for most of them. Instead, they get as little as Rs 1200 to Rs 3000, which they claim is barely enough to feed their families. This discrepancy in wages, coupled with the failure of the authorities to regularize their employment, has deepened their grievances.
“Despite working at the frontlines during man-animal conflicts and forest fires, our work is not recognized. The Wildlife Warden has failed to forward our employment details to the Chief Wildlife Warden several times, and we suspect favouritism in the allotment of jobs and resources,” said another protester.
They further said that the lack of manpower in the Wildlife Department has made working conditions difficult, which have turned worse with the alleged apathy of the administration.
The protesters said they were left with no option but to continue the protest amid their worsening condition. Following the one-hour-long meeting with protesters, the Chief Secretary ordered an expedition of their demands from the Chief Wildlife Warden.
Skeptical over promises made on earlier occasions not being fulfilled, the casual labourers continue the protest. The streets close to the Chief Wildlife Warden’s office continue to be a scene of tension and unrest as the protest runs into the second month. The protesters have been insistent that they are not going to step back until their information is put on record and their pending wages are released.
Their struggle reflects the bigger question of labour rights and administrative negligence in Kashmir’s public sector. The casual labourers protesting here raise not only the plight of their struggles in the Valley but also puts a big question mark over the transparency and accountability of the local administration.
With no resolution in sight, the protesting casual labourers vow to continue the struggle till ‘justice’ is delivered. “We are here to remind the authorities that our rights cannot be ignored. We will continue to fight until our demands are met,” a seemingly-determined protester vowed.
The coming days are going to prove very vital in determining whether the administration is now heeding the demands of the workers or not, or whether this agitation will further escalate, drawing in more labour groups from the Valley in their support.— (KB)
