Valley's apple crush: Losses spark narrative of discrimination

The Centre needs to take urgent steps to allow fruit-laden trucks to reach Delhi expeditiously lest delays and economic losses fuel another agitation in Kashmir

The Kashmiri apple is more than a fruit. It is a slice of the identity of Kashmir and its people. It is an integral part of the political economy of Kashmir, which stands on its own in many ways but derives its sustenance from markets where fruits land for sale and export.

This time, much of the fruit is perishing en route from Kashmir to other parts of the country. The fruit-laden trucks get held up on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only surface link the Valley has with the rest of the country, for days together.

Consequently, fruit growers and merchants, who drive the Valley's politics, are facing significant economic losses. They are supporters, even financers, of political outfits, and their word carries weight in the Valley. Therefore, it was natural that all political parties picked up the issue. They asked for unrestricted movement of the trucks and made fervent appeals to the administration. They also added the "deliberate delay" element in transporting fruit-laden trucks to markets outside the Valley, seeing it as a design to cripple Kashmir economically.

At the root of the problem is a stretch of nearly 40 km on the 294 km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway, which is virtually a death trap. Shooting stones, landslides, and the caving in of the road are frequent. Add to this the construction work to align the stretch with the four-lane project. This keeps traffic held up for hours daily; sometimes, the vehicles are stuck for days.

Despite tunnel networks, some points continue to be deadly. One of these points is the infamous "khooni nullah", or the rivulet of blood, because vehicles often roll down, causing heavy casualties. The vagaries of weather, such as frequent spells of rain, sometimes even a drizzle, trigger landslides on this stretch, from Ramban to Baniohal, interrupting the efforts of men and machines to keep the road motorable.

Another problem is the preference given to the movement of light motor vehicles and army and paramilitary forces' convoys. The fruit-laden trucks from Kashmir are allowed after considerable delay. That delay spells doom for the fruit industry.

For Kashmiri fruit growers, the crop and its harvesting are as critical as its transportation to fruit mandis across the country, where it is exported. Since the fruit is a perishable item, delay in reaching the markets spoils it, and the rotten fruit fetches little or no price.

The delay is a double whammy for the fruit growers in Kashmir. They are already facing competition from heavy import of Iranian apples, which reaches the market within three days of its journey. It is sold at relatively lower rates as it is non-taxed.

Kashmiris are already suspicious of Delhi's moves post the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. They view these delays in the transportation of fruit as yet another attack on Kashmir's economy and identity. The sentiment threatens to widen the chasm between Srinagar and Delhi.

Kashmir's horticulture industry is worth Rs 10,000 crore. At least three million people depend directly and indirectly on the horticulture industry, a substantial number in the population of eight million in Kashmir. The fruit industry also drives the political narrative, as almost all the parties in Kashmir have their support base among the fruit growers. Some are in the parties' ranks, especially the National Conference and People's Democratic Party. The fruit growers have been on the other side of the fence too. They formed a large support base for the separatists as well.

Here we should remember the summer and autumn of 2008 when the Amarnath land row agitation left more than 50 people dead and brought life to a halt for nearly three months in Kashmir. In 2008, the agitation had taken a violent turn as separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference had taken the lead in a march, calling for trade through the cross-LoC route. "Muzaffarabad Chalo", march on to Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied-J&K, had become the rallying cry and resonated across the Valley. However, the trade was opened on this route in October 2008, contributing to the feeling. It was eventually suspended in 2019 following the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan.

The wider dimension of the issue needs to be understood. The remedial measures that need to be taken include granting priority to the movement of the fruit-laden trucks on the highways and initiating interaction with fruit growers, transporters and other stakeholders, which can help change the discourse in which, at the moment, fingers are being pointed at Delhi.

It is strategically necessary to correct such faultlines before it gets too late. The youth in Kashmir, born between the 1990s and early 2000s, are influenced by social media and keen to search for the place's unique identity. Care must be taken to ensure no inputs are there to fuel their frustration.

(Arun Joshi, a senior journalist, based in Jammu and Kashmir, specialises in South Asian affairs)