Daily Times

The first four months of lockdown in Kashmir has cost its economy more than Rs 18000 Crore since the government stripped it of its special status on 5th August 2019 and suspension of all modes of communication is believed to be the prime factor behind the losses, a report released by local chamber of Industries.

The abrogation of article 370 was followed by an unprecedented and indefinite communication blockade and the imposition of section 144 Crpc, which prohibits assembly of more than three people, across the State. However, the same was later on relaxed in Jammu region, but Kashmir continued to reel under communication blockade, particularly the internet. In Kashmir Valley has a population of 70 lakh and the majority is of Muslims. There are less than one lakh Sikhs, some Christians and Gujjar tribes also live.

The imposition of section 144 Crpc and other such restrictions curbed the mobility of vehicles and other carriers, thus causing huge financial losses and trauma to the local business community. People have been restricted to their homes, living a stifled life causing irreparable the emotional loss even to elderly and sick people and the children.

The people of the valley are the most affected to this unprecedented action of the government because there is no information regarding calling off this indefinite restriction. Although it is 160 days now, the imposition of bonded life, the future is still bleak. In the absence of tourist during these 160 days, the tourism industry, the mainstay of the valley’s economy has hardly survived in maintaining its infrastructure from its own resources. All those who are dependent on the tourism have been jobless since the 5th of August, 2019. The small goods carriers, taxi owners and three-wheeler owners (autorickshaw owners) and all other kinds of transporting vehicles have abandoned the roads, as a mark of protest, thus compounding problems of the people.

The transporters have suffered financial losses; many of them are unable to pay their loan installments and will have to suffer penalized interest rates. The small-scale industrial units and self-employed single or family units have also become jobless

The restrictions of the various kinds have also stifled the economy of agriculture and horticulturist respectively and also those who are dependent on these two rural-based sources of income are struggling to meet the both ends, especially with the fall of winters. Each section of society agriculturalist, apple growers and handicraft self-employed artisans remained confined to their houses with no productive activities left for them.

The transporters have suffered financial losses; many of them are unable to pay their loan installments and will have to suffer penalized interest rates. The small-scale industrial units and self-employed single or family units have also become jobless. Many of them who are dependent on small loans will also have to pay huge interest penalties on installments. The daily wage earners are the worst hit as they fail to find work causing no earning for them.

Except for army personnel and paramilitary forces not much is visible on roads. If you look at the losses and depressed mood of the people, it is mind-boggling, but Home Minister, Amit Shah has been continuously saying that everything is normal in J&K and that the people of Kashmir are living a normal routine life. How much the minister is misleading the world about J&K situation, remains a million-dollar question?

The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I) has released a report on losses suffered by the business to the media in Srinagar. The report shows that Kashmir’s economy had suffered losses to the tune of around Rs 17,878 crore in the first 120 days after August 5, 2019. It also shows that around 4.96 lakh jobs earners have remained jobless during this period. The KCC&I president Sheikh Ashiq has stated that compiling the report was an arduous task and a comprehensive report would be drafted after internet service is restored. While talking to media Sheikh Ashiq said “the KCC&I had formed a team that focused on 10 districts of Kashmir. We assessed the losses by personally collecting the inputs from stakeholders of various sectors such as tourism, horticulture, agriculture, transport, health, education, among others. Businesses dependent on internet are still incurring huge losses.”

He said that few sectors have suffered irreparable losses. “We have completely lost the export that was made only around Christmas and export handicrafts worth of Rs 2,000 crore annually and receive maximum orders from July to September for Christmas sale abroad. This year, exporters have lost contact with businessmen abroad as nowadays orders are received either through the internet or on WhatsApp. Now, businesses would have to wait for coming July.”

The people associated with the facilitation of Amarnath Yatris also suffered losses. Amarnath shrine is in the Himalayan region of South Kashmir? It is about 141 km from Srinagar and is situated at an altitude of 3,888 meters (12,756 feet). There are two routes through which we can reach the Amarnath shrine that is via Pahalgam and Baltal. The Amarnath Yatra began on 30 June, the first convoy of 90 or more vehicles carrying 2,234 pilgrims under heavy paramilitary security. The Amarnath Yatra was supposed to conclude on 15 August, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan, but last year the government issued an advisory on August 2, asking tourists and Amarnath yatris (pilgrims) to curtail their visit. Though the advisory was lifted on October 10 last year, the footfall fell to low. As per the J&K Hoteliers Club, the occupancy in hotels was less than 10 percent. Ashiq said the losses came at a time when the Kashmir’s economy was still recovering from the impact of factors such as demonetization and imposition of GST. The devastation caused by losses from 2014 floods is still looking into our faces. And as market places have opened in most parts of the Valley now, traders said they were still suffering.

The Kashmir Economic Alliance vice-chairman Aijaz Shahdhar has stated that nowadays businesses are dependent on the internet and we have been deprived of this facility for over five months now. Our shops have remained shut most of the times since August 5 and when we are trying to make up for losses now, the atmosphere is not so conducive. Filing GST returns in the absence of the internet was a headache. Many traders traveled to Delhi to file returns while others had to sit or stand in queues at government offices where an internet facility was provided. (eom)

The writer is a veteran journalist and Indo-Pak peace activist (EOM)