Srinagar, May 1 -- On May Day, governments across India make lofty declarations about workers' rights. But in Kashmir, the reality tells a darker story. Labour laws are flouted in broad daylight. Wages remain dismal. And those who keep the economy running-teachers, cooks, sanitation staff, health workers-are treated as disposable.

Take the case of a postgraduate teaching in a private school in Anantnag, who earns just Rs.3,000 a month. Or a vocational trainer in a government school, responsible for skill development among high schoolers, surviving on less than Rs.10,000.

Compare that to the revised minimum wage notification by the Central Government this April, which recommends Rs.893 per day for highly skilled workers. That's roughly R...