Khrew truckers’ protest on for over a month

Oppose new truck union, face tough police action

Injured persons, damaged houses, deserted roads and hundreds of stranded trucks barely 20 km from the city centre in Srinagar show alleged police brutality against people of Khrew, an industrial area in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district with big cement factories.
For over a month, truckers in Khrew, where transportation of cement from both private and government-run factories was the main source of livelihood, had been protesting against private factory owners for allegedly floating a separate truck union, Alkhudam.
To transport cement from factories, trucks were being provided by the Zaffron Truck Union since 1984. Members of this union had been protesting against the creation of a new truck union.
“They want to disband our truck union and supply cement in their own trucks. By doing so, they will snatch the livelihood of the poor while accumulating more money to become richer,” said Khrew trucker Nazir Ahmad.
After talks between the government and Zaffron truck union failed on March 23, the Kashmir administration swung into action and ordered the police to take strict action against the protesters.
The police reportedly resorted to teargas shelling and lathicharge on locals, in which dozens were injured and windows of almost all houses on the roadside damaged.
Two boys — Gowhar Ahmad Sheikh and Iqbal Ahmad Sheikh — had sustained eye injury and had been moved to New Delhi for treatment. “They have turned blind,” claimed Ghulam Nabi Wani, a medical practitioner.
Local residents said 13 youths were still in police custody while scores of villagers were on the run to escape “police vengeance”.
“We fear for our lives. Policemen enter our houses at night, beat us up and humiliate women,” said Ghulam Hassan Danko.
Khrew had given over 10,000 kanals to the government since 1971 for establishing five cement factories. The resultant pollution had given rise to many respiratory ailments.
Pulwama SP Sridhar Patil said they had to use teargas shells to disperse protesters throwing stones on forces deployed in the area. He admitted that people were injured and houses damaged in police action.
Pulwama Deputy Commissioner Neeraj Kumar termed the issue as an ego clash between two “mischievous” truck unions.
“A policewoman was attacked by local residents, infuriating the forces who resorted to lathicharge. Some houses were damaged and a few protesters received minor injuries,” he said.
He said despite the district administration’s efforts to resolve the issue amicably, the truckers were adamant on not sharing the supply of cement.
The National Conference (NC) termed the police action as unprovoked. “The police have committed atrocities in the area at the behest of the local PDP MLA and some private cement factory owners,” said Yawar Ali, a local NC leader.