By Sher Zada,
Though the Barthia Janata Party (BJP) led Indian government has declared that they have took
back the imposed restrictions on internet and other communication channels in the Indian
occupied Kashmir(IOK) ,but in reality the valley has not escaped yet from the empathetic
impacts of curfew on the economy of indigenous Kashmiris economy and other spheres of daily
life. The ruthless barbaric Indian government has been claiming of restoration of the Internet in
ten districts since January 19 that popped up the region’s economy back on its feet. However the
things have not been changed as claimed in the Indian media. While the Kashmiri investors and
people related to business and commerce industry speak the different story that is totally opposite
to the harmonious paradise’s dreams that have been claimed by Narendra Modi and his narcissist
fleet of ministers along Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) radical propagandists. Recently
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry has given estimation that more than $2 billion lost
stroke has been made to different businesses from August 5, 2019 to December 3, 2019 due
Indian stir restrictions on communication and business wires across the valley. The sectors that
have been severely affected include travel, tourism, construction, real estate, handicrafts
industry, agriculture and horticulture. Cutting down internet service had left 0.4 m people jobless
in ten districts. Besides this health sector was deadly affected due continuous curfew in the
valley, thousands of patients who are dependent on life rescuing drugs were abandoned to their
boundary wall and remained without taking their routine doses due to immobility and closure of
medical services in the valley. In this age of internet of things approximately 5000 lost was
recorded in businesses in ten of the districts of Kashmir. The blockage has hit exports that have
been declined by 62 percent. Famous Kashmiri shawls and silk carpets that has a big share in
revenue generation was remained stock to export to the European Union and the USA the big
markets. Due to dependency on the internet, that was shutdown, more than 5 m pilgrims could
not apply for hajj (pilgrimage) that brought huge losses to the travel and tourism industries. Not
only this the people who were seeking for visas abroad for refreshment or earning remained
limited to their hollow hopes due to unavailability of internet service. The sudden emergency
advisory that all tourists should leave the valley that was issued on 3 rd of August two prior
turning the valley to a complete open sky prison, terrified tourists to visit Kashmir again. Then in
October another advisory was issued that Kashmir is safe for tourism once again, instead of the
advisory foreign tourists are reluctant to visit the valley. Due to this blockage almost 95 percent
drop down has been occurred in tourism industry. Hotels and guesthouses have been remained
vacant without staying guests. The damage and loss has not limited to tourism industry, people
who are attached with the profession of E-commerce have been jobless from months. There has
been no order from the overseas importers for shawls and carpets, the manufactures are sending
their employees to home. A recent report shows that more than 5m workers that are attached
with export oriented industries have been jobless from last five months. Nevertheless almost Rs.
18,000 crores loss has been recorded in ten districts of Jammu and Kashmir in last five months.
Instead of all these facts and solid evidences of loss happened to Kashmiris since August 5, 2019
blockage the coward Indian regime is trying to distract the world from atrocities that it commits
in the Indian occupied Kashmir. After the abrogation of Article 370 the central government in
Delhi has allowed the aboriginal Indians to make and have their properties in IOK that has
created a state of anger and mental stress amongst the real estate businessmen. On other side
Indian regime claims that allowing Indians to buy and make property is the guarantee of
expansion of tourism and travel industry in IOK that is totally false myth according to
indigenous Kashmiri population. They consider its malicious Hindutva plot of Narendra Modi’s
government to establish dominancy of Hindus aimed demographic change in the valley that will
cause violence and bloodshed. Moreover that will be an extra burden on the job industry in
Jammu and Kashmir that has already been overloaded due to increasing unemployment ratio of
Kashmiri youth. Kashmiri people had have been passing through difficulties since 1948 but the
recent rhetoric actions taken by the Indian government have squeezed land on indigenous
Kashmiris, their business have been targeted ,markets have been shut downed and
communicatioThe writer is Islamabad based Journalist and Working Staff Member at Daily Parliament Times
Can be reached at sher.khanbtimes@gmail.comn services have been cut off that are the major sources of modern days transactions
and business deals. There is an immense need that the world should take notice of Indian
atrocities in the occupied valley and should take serious moves instead of vocal statements and
written resolutions. The United Nations should abandoned membership of India until it accept
the legitimate demand of Kashmiri and respect their decision of previous plebiscite with
Pakistan.
(The writer is Islamabad based Journalist and Working Staff Member at Daily Parliament Times
Can be reached at sher.khanbtimes@gmail.com)
