7 hours agoAuthor: Ashish Urmalia
It was 12 o’clock in the afternoon of February 2, 2023. More than 50 Kashmiri youths were sitting decorated dry fruit shops at 1090 crossroads of Lucknow. Suddenly a car comes there. Some people come out of the car and pick up the belongings of two Kashmiri youths and throw them in the Gomti river. The goods were worth more than 25 thousand rupees.
The news became headlines after the incident. When the police reached the spot, the goons fled. But since that day till date Kashmiri boys are not able to set up their shop at 1090 intersection. Most went back. Right now there are 8-10 boys who secretly sell their goods.
Dainik Bhaskar reached on the same road. Tried to talk to the Kashmiris who were running around selling goods. Many refused to talk on camera. Said that now the police is also troubling us. On being assured, some youths spoke. After all, what is the compulsion that brings them from Kashmir to Lucknow? Since when have they been coming here? Where do you live? What is his full story?
- Come, let’s go through his whole story in his own words…
They get scared seeing any new person around.
There is no farming in winter, people come to UP for livelihood
In Lucknow, Lohia moved away from the path and went to Zahid sitting on the side. Zahid is from Kashmir. He was carrying a bag full of dry fruits. As soon as we went close to him, he was a little scared. We assured them and told that they are from the media. You talk to us Zahid refused to talk on camera. Zahid’s companion Mohammad Arif came from behind and he agreed to talk on camera.
Mohammad Arif said, “We are educated poor. We have some land in Kashmir. But from the month of November to March, snow starts accumulating there. Due to the autumn season, farming could not be done. There we cultivate only apples and dry fruits.
We earn our livelihood from farming for 8 months of the year. Due to non-availability of agriculture for 4 months, we have to come to UP to sell dry fruits. We come here in late November and go back by 15th March. They feed their families with what they earn here.
Coming since 1950, our grandparents also used to come to Lucknow
Mohammad Arif said, “We have not come to UP or Lucknow for the first time. Our father and grandfather also used to come here to sell dry fruits. I myself have been coming here continuously for the last 5 years. Right after the country got independence, Kashmiris came here and started selling goods. We can come and go to any corner of the country. can earn their livelihood. Here we are your guests.”
If you come on camera, then the police find, the people of the corporation are confiscating the goods
We spoke off-camera to some Kashmiris sitting inside the park carrying their luggage bags. Asked him why didn’t you set up shop today? Justice Mehrajuddin said, “Brother, the day before yesterday I spoke to a media person on camera. Now I will not speak on camera. As soon as we come on camera, we come in the eyes of the police and the municipal corporation.
Kashmiris hide their faces as soon as they see the camera. He says if we come in the camera then the corporation and the police will trouble us.
Mehrajuddin further says, “The officials of the municipal corporation have been coming continuously since February 2. Since that day, we have not been able to set up shop here. We are committing any crime. You tell me… are we not doing any illegal work. Even if we open the bag and keep 4 packets outside, they come and take away our belongings. Every day we are being beaten up. Morning Goods worth even a single rupee were not sold, due to which most of the boys have gone back to Kashmir in the last 4-5 days.
The family is scared, calling and saying – don’t come in the media
He says, “Ever since our belongings were thrown away. After that the police are not allowing us to set up shop. Since then our family in Kashmir is scared. Every day we get calls from them. Our parents and children even say Hai- Papa, don’t come in the media. Don’t say anything to anyone. Just come back home quickly. We are all going through a lot of trouble every day.
Lucknow is most famous in terms of dry fruits
Sarfazar said, “We come here for the family so that we can feed them. Lucknow dry fruit market is famous all over the country. A few selected Kashmiris do wholesale work on a large scale here in association with the shopkeepers. Limat Butt, Mohammad Ayub are such big Kashmiri businessmen. He is doing business here for 50 years. Such traders are few. Rest of us around 300 people are poor, we set up shop on the footpath. Some ferry as well.
They are selling their wares from inside the park itself.
Walnuts and almonds are Kashmiri, everything else is foreign.
Mushtaq Butt said, “People think that all the dry fruits we sell here are Kashmiri. It’s not like that. We keep all the dry fruits for sale to make a complete package. Even before selling, they tell people that walnuts and almonds are just Kashmiri. Rest of the cashews, pistachios, figs, dry grapes and dates are brought from outside and sold here. We take full care that the quality of dry fruits brought from outside is better.
“Lakhs of people pass through here throughout the day. Some of them stop at our shop. They go away with one or two packets of their choice. We get a saving of 10-20 rupees per packet. We sell goods worth 2 to 4 thousand in a day, out of which our money is saved for running our work. In 4-5 months we earn 30-40 thousand.
Cut wood in Kanpur, sell shawls in Punjab
Lakhs of us Kashmiris migrate for 4-5 months during winters. They go to earn in different parts of the country. Like we have come here to sell dry fruit shawls. Similarly, many of our friends do the work of chopping wood in the Kanpur Bhatta. Shawls and dry fruits are also sold in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. Most Kashmiris come to UP only.
Now the remaining Kashmiris are sitting around the entry gate keeping their belongings so that they can run away as soon as the police come.
Yogis give us security, don’t commit crimes; feed your stomach
Mushtaq Butt said, “We set up shop on the footpath of the broad road. Because of us there is no traffic jam here. Let us set up shop here so that we can feed ourselves. Our economic condition in Kashmir is not good. That’s why here We have to come. We come every year. We are here for the last 4 months. We sell our goods peacefully, we don’t commit any crime. We ourselves are not able to stay here as soon as the summer season comes, we go back. Yogi Ji Police Get us security from the administration.”
The people of UP are good, there are more fights in Punjab.
In UP, especially the people of Lucknow love us. are much better. We like it here. In Punjab our people are beaten up more. There are drunkards everywhere who harass Kashmiris, beat them up. Shawl business is more there, so our people have to go there. We roam across the country keeping our lives in our hands so that we can feed our old parents and children living in Kashmir.
The people of Lucknow also supported the Kashmiris
During the talks with the Kashmiris, talks were also held with the common people passing through the Lohia Path. Dilip Pandey, who works in an IT firm, said, “The police are ill-behaving with these people. It should not happen. Should not fight. They come here from Kashmir for their survival. Such behavior with them spoils the name of our UP. They don’t do any wrong thing. Their goods are also good. We fully support them. Dilip’s wife standing nearby said that these people are good, they do not disturb anyone.
Police said- shops will be allowed to be set up only after February 15
Talking to some police officers, he said, “We have come here to earn our livelihood, we respect every person. He is our guest. Give them complete security. We take special care of Kashmiris. They don’t let any problem happen. His allegation of assault is not true. It is true that right now we are not allowing them to set up shop on the footpath. The reason for this is the ‘Global Investor Summit’ to be held in Lucknow. Keeping in mind the traffic system, we are doing this so that there is no chaos. We will not stop them from setting up shop after February 15.”
If the goods are not sold for 10 days, then they will not be able to pay the rent.
Mushtaq Butt said, apart from 1090, some Kashmiris also sell shawls and dry fruits by hawking in Dali Ganj, Aminabad. Here we live in rented rooms. We all live in Kesar Bagh, Gola Ganj, Aminabad and nearby areas. 60-70 people sell goods on Lohia Path.
If we are not allowed to set up shop, we will not even be able to pay the rent of our rooms. The 20-25 thousand rupees that were earned in 2 months have been sent home to the children. Now even they are not able to tell their helplessness.
Kashmiris with dry fruits were beaten up in the capital in 2019
This is a picture of 2019. Two people are killing Kashmiris. There was a lot of protest on social media. Former Finance Minister Late. Arun Jaitley also condemned it.
In the month of April 2019 also, the case of beating of two Kashmiris came to the fore. In fact, two Kashmiri youths from Kulgaon were selling dry fruits on the Daliganj bridge. Suddenly some people reached there, asked him his identity. As soon as they told their identity, they started beating the Kashmiris with sticks and rods. mercilessly thrashed.
The local people protested against this assault. Some people made a video of this incident and posted it on social media. Police took action after the video went viral. An accused was also arrested. This attack on Kashmiris in Lucknow took place after the Pulwama terror attack.
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