Kashmir has been in the news for the last three decades because of the militancy and Pak-sponsored terrorism, which unfortunately took the heavy toll of thousands of precious lives. If we go deep and think objectively, we will definitely come to the conclusion that the Kashmir issue has existed and remained in the news ever since the nation attained freedom from British rule. Since childhood, we have been hearing “Kashmir, Kashmir,” yet the issue still stands alive even after seventy-six years of self-rule and independence, thanks to the narrow handling of Kashmir by the first Prime Minister, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. Indian rulers ever since freedom have considered Kashmir as an economic issue, and the problem continues even today. The Indian government has pumped tons and tons of the taxpayers’ money into Kashmir, but the problem has remained unsolved, and this is the irony.
Kashmir is not an economic problem but is a political as well as a law and order problem. But the Indian government is fed on the false notion that Kashmir is an economic problem, and until this notion is there, the Kashmir issue will remain alive. Therefore, this outdated notion should be given a goodbye, and the rulers sitting in Delhi should realize that Kashmir can be solved by winning the hearts and minds of the Kashmiris and not by giving economic incentives, as the majority of Kashmiris are well-to-do and affluent. They are rich and wealthy and do not need economic incentives and doles, let alone a very small number of Kashmiris who are really poor and are living a life of penury. Thus, instead of pumping money into Jammu and Kashmir, it is necessary to focus on the development of the small number of people of the erstwhile state, now Union Territory, who are poor and deserve economic upliftment. But the people of Kashmir are masters of wealth and are rolling in riches and do not need economic packages.
(Apple orchards at Danow in Kulgam)
(Apple orchards in Shopian)
(Apple orchards at Adijen, Kulgam District)
Farmers of Kashmir have turned to orchard farming rather than cultivating paddy and have become big orchardists over the years. Earlier production of apples was confined to North Kashmir’s Sopore and some areas of Shopian only, but now almost all places in the valley are flourishing as apple production has become a big industry and is fetching a big revenue for the apple producers, and such apple producers can be appropriately called ‘Apple Sheikhs of Kashmir’ as they roll in riches and wealth. There are apple Sheikhs of Kashmir, as there are Arab Sheikhs, who are very rich people and are affluent and are next to none in economic power. The Kashmir orchardists, who have grown sizeable in number, are very affluent and possess palatial buildings and luxurious cars and have a high standard of living. So the government of India should concentrate on the small number of people of Kashmir who are really poor and deserve economic help and upliftment and not others who are rich and affluent. Therefore the government should not measure all with the same yardstick but should make an objective distinction between the affluent majority and the poor minority of Kashmiris. The central government needs to take off the defective blinkers and see the reality of Kashmir and not pump money without any accountability, as was happening from the accession of Jammu and Kashmir.
It was in the year 2019 that temporary article 370 and article 35-A were repealed and the state was reorganized into two Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. Things may change for the better, and a new Jammu and Kashmir is born where the poor and needy who deserve financial and economic help are provided these on a priority basis, and their poverty will be eliminated, and they will live a life where they can at least make both ends meet. All said and done, it can be safely said that the majority of Kashmiris are affluent and rich and can be bracketed as Apple Sheikhs, just like Arab Sheikhs, and there is no doubt in this categorization.
Notably to mention here that apple production and cultivation has traditionally been the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, with thousands of families relying on this business for their income and the growers often being called the “Apple Sheikhs” of the Valley similar to Arab Sheikhs because of their oil wealth. Unprecedented heavy rainfall hit the industry hard this year in September, which set off mudslides and compounded the already poor conditions of the only all-weather road connecting the Valley to the rest of the country, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. After more than two weeks of closure, many apples—harvested and on their way to market—deteriorated or lost value, resulting in extraordinary financial losses for growers and businessmen. Because apples are the mainstay of the Valley's economy, the impact is not just upon the harvesters but is an assault on the economic fabric of the Valley. The disaster emphasizes the absolute necessity for reliable infrastructure, an alternate route, and a policy focus that protects the interests of Kashmiri apple growers under unpredictable weather conditions.
(Writer: Vivek Koul, Owner of this blog)
Link to some older blog posts:-
https://vivekkoulinsights.blogspot.com/2025/01/maharaja-hari-singh-architect-of.html
Nice
ReplyDeleteVery nice and beautifully articulated
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