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In Pictures: How India’s lockdowns ruined Kashmir’s economy

Kashmir’s economy is yet to recover from a colossal loss a year after New Delhi scrapped the region’s autonomous status.

Hundreds of Kashmiri cabs are parked at a deserted tourist taxi stand. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Hundreds of Kashmiri cabs are parked at a deserted tourist taxi stand. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
3 Aug 2020
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A year ago, Abdul Rashid was making a living by selling flowers to tourists in hundreds of ornate pinewood houseboats on Dal Lake in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir.

When India suddenly scrapped disputed Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status, followed by an unprecedented security clampdown, economic ruin ensued.

“It was not just a political change. It destroyed our livelihood,” said Rashid, 60, who has now turned to growing vegetables to feed his family.

Days before the August 5, 2019, decision by India’s central government, authorities asked hundreds of thousands of tourists, Hindu pilgrims and migrant workers to leave the territory, shutting its economy. Since then, tens of thousands of jobs have been lost.

The stunning Himalayan region in parts ruled by India and its western neighbour Pakistan since 1947, when British colonial rule ended with the creation of India and Pakistan. A portion of the region, Aksai Chin, is under Chinese control.

An armed rebellion erupted in 1989 after decades of political manipulation in Indian-administered Kashmir, broken promises and a crackdown on dissent by New Delhi.

Kashmiri rebels, who enjoy popular support, seek unification with Pakistan or complete independence. India dubbed the armed rebellion “terrorism” abetted by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies.

Hundreds of the colourful hand-carved houseboats, known as shikaras, lie deserted, anchored still on the desolate lake. Hotels are empty, and there are barely any tourists.

Some businesses had resumed with the partial lifting of the security and communication clampdown earlier this year. However, Indian authorities enforced another harsh lockdown in March to combat the coronavirus pandemic, further emaciating the local economy.

The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries pegged the economic losses in the region at $5.3bn and said about half a million jobs had been lost since August last year.

The seven-decade-old Hotel Standard in Srinagar had a staff of 30, according to its manager Khurshid Ahmed. Now there are just three. The only activity inside the once-bustling place is that of the cleaning staff.

Mohammed Rajab, a taxi driver for 37 years, has not received on fare since last August. “I parked my taxi at our stand a few days before August 5 last year. It’s still there, along with 250 others,” he said.
Tens of thousands of daily wage workers, like Rajab, have suffered the most.

Mohammad Lateef, a boatman, used to ferry tourists around the lake. He now sells cucumbers and cigarettes to locals along its banks.

“We’ve not earned a single penny for a year now,” said Ghulam Qadir Ota, a houseboat owner. “All we have are these boats. We don’t have any other means to earn.”

Indian-administered Kashmir's economy is yet to recover from colossal losses one year after New Delhi scrapped the disputed region's autonomous status and divided it into two federally governed territories. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Indian-administered Kashmir's economy is yet to recover from colossal losses one year after New Delhi scrapped the disputed region's autonomous status and divided it into two federally governed territories. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
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A Kashmiri shopkeeper sits at the entrance of his half-closed shop during lockdown in Srinagar. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
A Kashmiri shopkeeper sits at the entrance of his half-closed shop during lockdown in Srinagar. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
A market stands deserted during the coronavirus lockdown in Srinagar. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
A market stands deserted during the coronavirus lockdown in Srinagar. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
A waiter cleans a table inside the empty restaurant of Hotel Standard. The only activity inside this once-bustling place is that of the cleaning staff. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
A waiter cleans a table inside the empty restaurant of Hotel Standard. The only activity inside this once-bustling place is that of the cleaning staff. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Kashmiri boatmen wait for customers on the banks of Dal Lake. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Kashmiri boatmen wait for customers on the banks of Dal Lake. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Ahamad cleans an unoccupied houseboat at Nigeen Lake. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Ahamad cleans an unoccupied houseboat at Nigeen Lake. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
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Ghulam Qadir Ota, a Kashmiri houseboat owner, shows his guest entry book; the last entry is from July 2019. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Ghulam Qadir Ota, a Kashmiri houseboat owner, shows his guest entry book; the last entry is from July 2019. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Ghulam Qadir Ota and family members eat in their houseboat. "We've not earned a single penny for a year now, all we have are these boats, We don't have any other means to earn," Ota said. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Ghulam Qadir Ota and family members eat in their houseboat. "We've not earned a single penny for a year now, all we have are these boats, We don't have any other means to earn," Ota said. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
A Kashmiri boatman rows his boat through what used to be a floating market on Dal Lake. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
A Kashmiri boatman rows his boat through what used to be a floating market on Dal Lake. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Kashmir's precarious security and political situation has also affected the apple industry - the backbone of the region's economy. More than 3 million people depend on horticulture for livelihood in Kashmir. [File: Dar Yasin/AP Photo]
Kashmir's precarious security and political situation has also affected the apple industry - the backbone of the region's economy. More than 3 million people depend on horticulture for livelihood in Kashmir. [File: Dar Yasin/AP Photo]

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