It's been three months since Kashmir has been gripped by unrest. The state government has failed to break the stalemate and has imposed several bouts of curfew in parts of the Valley, even as protest and strike schedules issued by separatists prevent any return to routine.
Not surprisingly, the economy has been hit hard. The state is suffering losses of Rs 135 crores a day, according to the estimates of an official of the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation. Among the worst affected are street vendors and transporters. Dependent on daily earnings, they have lost all or most of their savings and many have been compelled to look for other avenues of income.
“What does one do when there is nothing to eat at home?” asked 26-year-old Nisar, who sells leather shoes on the streets of Srinagar. “In a poor man’s house, there is at the most Rs 10,000 [in savings]. How long will that sustain him?”
A slight improvement in the situation of late has encouraged many vendors to go back to work. “Business is not good but… it is better than sitting at home,” said Nisar. “At least I earn Rs 400 to Rs 500 a day.”
Like Nisar, there are more vendors out in Srinagar now than during the early days of the violence — which erupted after militant Burhan Wani was killed by security forces on July 8 and resulted in the death of over 80 people.
Struggling to earn a living, many of them have moved from their usual spots to main intersections and roads where the security forces are deployed in strength and protestors rarely appear.
Business is also picking up in Srinagar’s famed flea market, which is held every Sunday and where vendors sell everything from clothing and furnishing to plastic ware and electronic items. Many of them set up stalls on weekdays, too, to compensate for the loss of business.
At one such stall, a vendor, who did not want to be identified, laid out neatly folded rugs. He said, “On better days, I earn Rs 20,000 to 25,000 a month. But for the last three months, I have not earned a single rupee and have managed to survive on my savings.”
Transporters hit hard
Another section who has suffered massive losses because of the unrest are transporters. The lack of customers and the fear of incurring additional losses from damage to their vehicles have kept them away from work even when the separatists have announced a relaxation in their protest schedules.
Apart from worrying about their daily expenses, many of them have to make monthly payments on loans they have taken to purchase their vehicles.
Reyaz Ahmad, an autorickshaw owner in Srinagar, has been out of work since his vehicle was damaged, allegedly by Central Reserve Police Force personnel. His family of four is now dependent on the charity of neighbours.
“They provide us with some food and oil," said Ahmad. "And though it is not much, it is enough for us to survive on.”
Going back to work now is not an option, he said: “Whoever comes out to work does not care for his life.”
The separatist Hurriyat Conference, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, had earlier directed that “Bait-ul-maals” be set up in every neighbourhood to collect money and resources to assist those in need. Not everyone benefits from such initiatives, though. And even when they do, it is not nearly enough.
Abdul Khaliq, a bus driver, has been living on minimal wages these past few weeks. He also supports his out-of-work brother’s family. He supports the strike but wishes there was someone he could complain to about his hardships.
“Sumos and autorickshaws can still ply but we have not been able to work for the last three months,” Khaliq said. “Our children are starving and their education no longer matters. My immediate concern is to take out a loan to pay insurance and other fees so that I can get my vehicle back on the road.”
A drop in the supply of goods to the Valley and the fear of roadblocks and stone throwers kept truck driver Mohammad Kabir idle for two months. Now that goods trucks have started plying again on the highways, the 24-year-old from Rajouri is back at work ferrying fruits from Kashmir to cities outside the state.
But his worries are not over. Freight charges have almost doubled this year and there is no compensation for the losses already incurred, he said. He also said that though the trips have resumed, they are still fewer of them than before.
“I earn about Rs 70,000 a trip, but so far this month, I have only been able to make two trips,” Kabir said, adding that most of his earnings would go into paying loan instalments and taxes and taking care of other expenses.
The backlash
The sight of more vehicles on the roads and shops back in business across Kashmir does not mean the situation is back to normal.
Inter-district taxis are operating out of Srinagar, but often at odd hours.In previous weeks, vigilantes had forced shopkeepers to down their shutters even during relaxation hours, though few such instances have been reported recently.
On October 7, transporters from Kupwara district who staged a demonstration against the strikes in Srinagar were assaulted by some young men and disowned by the Kashmir Transporters Welfare Association.
The association later held a press conference to condemn the protest and said it would not ask the Hurriyat to call off the strike. “What answer will we give to the families of the slain youth and those who have lost their eyesight in the ongoing unrest?" it said in a statement. "Are we so selfish that we will ask for the strike to be ended?… Kashmir’s transporters will continue to abide by the programmes issued by the joint resistance leadership and will accord its full support to the present movement.”
Earlier, in August, the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Association had also expressed support for the separatist-sponsored strike. But even as they released a statement to this effect on August 6, data released by the horticulture department showed that 4,400 metric tonnes of fresh and dry fruits had been sent out of the state in the first week of August compared to 2,981 metric tonnes in the same period last year.
The gradual resumption of business in defiance of had angered the separatist Hurriyat Conference. Last month, it warned shopkeepers in Srinagar not to break the strike. It also alleged autorickshaw and taxi drivers were being paid by the authorities to ply their vehicles even if didn't have any passengers. The group also warned owners of private vehicles against venturing out.
Many who have dared to go out on the streets have had to pay for it. On Monday at around 8 am, two taxis were burnt down in Srinagar's Parimpora area. On September 28 a taxi driver fleeing protesters at a roadblock in the same area rammed into two girls, killing one of them.
Several owners of private vehicles have had their windshields smashed. On October 4, two autorickshaws were burnt down in Srinagar, prompting the government to announce compensation for them. Days later, a van – the only source of livelihood of its owner – was set on fire. In South Kashmir’s Anantnag, an autorickshaw was attacked with a petrol bomb.
There were also reports of shops in Srinagar being burnt down. According to the CNS news agency, many of these shop owners had opened their stores after receiving letters from unidentified persons directing them to do so. They believe they were punished because vendors had set up stalls outside their shops.
Incidents such as these may have led to the Hurriyat softening its stand: its protest diktats now include relaxation hours from 6 pm to 6 am every day.
However, uncertainty lingers as many shopkeepers close only hours after the relaxation period ends. Others attempt to operate during the day, with their shutters half-open. But transporters continue to wait for the situation to improve before they can restart their businesses.