Kashmir’s Gone Halcyon Days
From
self-sufficiency to dependency
Daanish
Bin Nabi
Till 1953, Kashmir was self-sufficient and did not import
anything apart from salt, tea and clothing. However, the political coup and the
subsequent arrest of Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on August 8, 1953
changed the political as well as economic course of Kashmir.
In 1947, the import-export ratio of Kashmir’s trade was 1:3,
indicating that Kashmir had a surplus trade. But 68 years down the line this
ratio has taken a u-turn. Today the trade ratio of import-export of Kashmiri
goods stands at 7:1. Kashmir now import goods of worth more than Rs 40,000
crore a year and only export goods worth Rs 7000 crore. There is a deficit of
Rs 33,000 crore, which increases every year.
Import
and Export of Goods
In 1951, a devastating draught hit Kashmir and there was
dearth of rice. At that time, council of minster of then Prime Minster Sheikh Mohammad
Abdullah suggested that Kashmir should import food grains from Punjab. But
Sheikh Abdullah refused and instructed people to consume potatoes and corn
instead of rice and wheat. The Prime Minister argued with his minister that it
will make Kashmiris dependent on others and will set a bad precedence. The
political coup of Prime Minister in 1953 changed the self-sufficient status of
Kashmir. Whether Sheikh Abdullah’s austerity was pragmatic or not is debatable.
But the message it send across is something which every Kashmir should
appreciate and stands out in current dispensation.
After Sheikh’s arrest, a public rally was addressed by his
successor Ghulam Mohammad Bakshi. At the rally, a man known as Khalil-e-Kashmir
reminded the Prime Minster that we do not have rice to eat. Bakshi, in response
said “Drage jin kor aaes band wuen wochu
tuyh latan te aasi bati te watan te aase bate” (The demon of draught has
been captured; now food grains will be on every road and corner). Subsequently,
Bakshi introduced the subsidised rice to Kashmir for the first time as a token
from New Delhi. This was for the first in history of Kashmir that Kashmiris
were made to believe that they are dependent on New Delhi.
Kashmir’s
Road Connectivity
The three imported goods – salt, tea and clothing – used to
come to Kashmir from natural roads like Rawalpindi-Srinagar highway, or
Sailkot-Jammu road. The manufactured road which Kashmiris are forced to treat
as “National Highway” was just a cart road. This road was only used by the
Maharajas of Kashmir, their families, relatives and administrative officials.
Any outsider who had to travel via cart road had to seek permission from
Kashmir government first. Rawalpindi-Srinagar highway was open for the common
masses of Kashmir and Silk Road was the international road of Kashmir that
connected Valley with Central Asia and the rest of the world.
As far as the railway connectivity is concerned, the first
mega railway project was inaugurated by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1897 that
connected Sailkot-Jammu. It was the first railway line Jammu Kashmir. In 1898,
Pratap Singh again called upon a British consultancy to conceive the idea of
linking Srinagar and Sailkot. This scheme was approved by Maharaja Pratap Singh
in 1902. The railways track was to be constructed via Reasi and Mughal road.
But due to lack of funds, Kashmir government was not able to complete the
project. Kashmir survived without railway connectivity because of Valley’s
connectivity by old routes.
Indigenous
Industries
From small hand-made goods to large industrial products, the
present Kashmir is entirely dependent on Indian states. Today, we are dependent
on food grains, rice, mutton, beef, poultry, fish, milk and packaged goods of
every kind, which Kashmiris consume on a large scale. Until recently, Kashmiris
produced a large chunk of eatables indigenously but now we import it from other
parts of India. Kashmir would export more than 90 percent of apple, walnuts,
apricot, dry-fruits and pears etc in horticulture sector which now also
drastically has come down.
The silk produced in Kashmir was once famous all over world.
But the historic Silk Factory of Kashmir which was built in posh area of
Rambagh-Solina is non-existent today. A vast five storey concrete building of
Income Tax and Excise department has replaced the Silk Factory that was one of
the major employment generating units for the unemployed people. Records say
that the unit was feeding more than 3000 people.
Kashmir was also rich in handicrafts. Kashmir already had
many handicraft units that were introduced after contacts with Central Asia.
Shah-i-Hamdan introduced 27 new small units like carpet weaving, wood carving,
embroidery, paper machie, namda, gaba
(traditional rugs). By this time Kashmir had total of 50 indigenous units
providing employment to hundreds of people. Unfortunately, much of these units
either are in deplorable state today or are non-existent.
Kashmir had wool industry and used to weave chadar (wraps) and had units of textile.
These units produced Harris wool. It is said that Harris wool is today’s Reid
and Tailor. These units used to weave it on vertical looms. Kashmir now has
completely stopped to weave such costly wool owing to shutdown of these units.
In today’s international market a suit length of Harris wool sells at more than
20, 000 rupees. We have the raw material to produce the Harris wool but there
are no production units.
The economy today heavily relies on service sector. This
type of economy is never good as population and therefore demands for tangible
products keeps on increasing. In trade the situation is no better as most of
the retail units only sell those products that are being imported.
Cheshma Shashi Milk factory, Killey Khan factory in Soura,
HMT watch factory in HMT area of Srinagar all saw gradual decline with gross
negligence and tacit approval of state government.
Factors
Responsible for Decline of Industries
There are many factors responsible for gradual decline of
Kashmir’s industrial economy. Political turmoil right from the year 1947 is one
of the major causes for decline of industrial units in Kashmir. From 1947 to
1953 some sort of independent economic foundation for Kashmir was laid in the
form of land to tiller scheme and other affiliated schemes, but overall
Kashmir’s industries were allowed to rot.
Social changes also led to the decline of industries in
Kashmir. The educated youth distanced from their ancestral businesses like
farming, handicrafts manufacturing and trade or orchards’ produce. Today, from
a barber’s shop to paddy fields and household helpers we are dependent on
states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Kashmir’s own inefficiency was fully exploited by New Delhi
as it took her a short time to make Kashmiris dependent on aid. New Delhi under
grab of special grants and packages has only benefited projects like National
Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and roads that connect Kashmir to rest
of India, for integration of Kashmir.
Myth of
Packages
From subsidised rice to special grants and crores of relief
packages – all have proved to be a hoax. Indian Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi, H
D Deve Gowda, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi till date have provided a total
sum of Rs 114, 301 crores as packages. Noted Kashmiri economist, Prof. Nisar
Ali says, “More than 75 percent money of these packages was spend on projects
like NHPC, India’s defence projects in Kashmir and on road and railways and
rest 25 percent is used on education, health and infrastructure. All these
packages are mere eye. Rather than giving Kashmir a political package, New
Delhi has to address the main problem that’s the political question of
Kashmir.”
While lamenting on the recent package given by Prime Minster
Narendra Modi, the Chairman of Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), Mohammad Yasin
Khan said, “Rs 80,000 crore package is a conspiracy to trifurcate Jammu and
Kashmir on communal lines. In the name of development, mere Rs 6500 crore have
been allotted to the Kashmir province whereas Rs. 13,000 crore have been given
to Ladakh. A huge chunk of Rs 11, 000 crore has been given to Jammu.”
Civil Society member Shakeel Qalandar said, “We have had
1900 days of curfews and hartals in past 26 years. Government of India or state
government has not compensated us even for one day. Per day state exchequer had
to bear minimum cost of 100 crore. By that yardstick Kashmir has lost Rs
1,90,000 crore wealth in last 26 years. Banks too were submerged in last year’s
flood, still they charged us the interests for the month of September. We have
also paid interests for the 1900 days of curfews and hartals. Likewise,
industries of Kashmir have also paid interests for these days and this sum goes
up in trillions that our Kashmir has lost.”
Recently, launched #AskHurriyat initiative by Hurriyat (M) chairman
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s which aimed to bridge the gap between people and
leadership. This freshly initiative fits right in the dependency scheme of
things. One user asked Mirwaiz why they don’t boycott Indian goods, he
responded, “We could only boycott if we produce something of our own. Self
reliance is the key.”
The foundation of self-reliance was set by Prime Minister
Sheikh Abdullah but it was gradually eroded by Kashmiris, installed government
and New Delhi. As per economic survey report there are around six lakh educated
unemployed youth in Jammu and Kashmir while the Civil Society of Kashmir puts
the figure around one million. If Kashmir’s indigenous industries are again
given a shot it can get rid of the growing unemployment problem of Jammu
Kashmir. Instead, of spending packages on NHPC there are units that are in dire
need of revamp. Kashmir has completed a journey from self-sufficiency to
dependency.
The
author can be mailed at
daanishnabi@gmail.com
