‘Battle for orchards and livelihood’: Railway expansion sparks tension in Kashmir’s Shopian

Sibte Abdullah/ Boidurjya Singha

Bashir Ahmed Bhat was working in his apple orchard when he noticed an unusual activity around his farm. The 56-year-old farmer went close to the intruders and noticed, a team of officials surveying the area. “I was informed that the government is taking our land up for a vital railway line project,” said Bashir Ahmed, a resident of Reshipora area in Zainapora, nearly twenty kilometers away from the district headquarters of the south Kashmir district of Shopian.

Kashmir is world famous for its picturesque beauty. The apples of the regions are equally renowned. The fears of farmers like Bashir are triggered by the recent sanction of five railway lines through the valley. One of these lines, the Awantipora-Shopian route nearly 26 kilometers, will inevitably lead to the felling of countless apple trees, threatening the livelihood of hundreds of farmers.

Railways has sanctioned five railway lines in Jammu Kashmir, including the doubling of the Baramulla-Banihal section (135.5 kilometers), Baramulla-Uri (50 kilometers), Sopore-Kupwara (33.7 kilometers), Awantipora-Shopian (27.6 kilometers), and Anantnag-Bijbehara-Pahalgam (77.5 kilometers).

“The expansion of the rail line will held in fostering local businesses, improving transportation, boosting tourism, and facilitating the movement of goods and services, ultimately contributing to the socio-economic advancement of the region,” government said.

Residents who rely on orchards for their livelihood expressed concerns about the railway line’s route cutting through numerous orchards. They emphasized that no one has advocated for this railway line. “We do not understand whose is seeking the construction of the project. Not a single person, political party or representative has sought this project. Our apple industry will take a major hit, if the project is not stopped,” said Bashir Ahmed Bhat, a local farmer.

Long before the Mughals arrived in the 16th century, the rulers of Shamir had already established gardens and orchards in the valley of Kashmir. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, also known as “Budshah” (1420-1470 AD), played a significant role in furthering horticulture during his reign by importing fruit grafts and the art of grafting from Central Asia. Historical evidence suggests that the Kashmir Valley, nestled in the Himalayas, boasts a rich variety of fruits including apples, plums, nut fruits, and grapes. Modern cultivators of fruit trees trace the origins of apples from the temperate zone of Britain in the northwest to the Himalayas in the southeast, covering a vast geographical area.

Exports from the orchards in the Himalayan region total over two million tonnes annually, yielding approximately 120 billion rupees in revenue. This revenue surpasses that generated by the region’s tourism sector, nearly doubling its economic impact.

According to the horticulture department of Jammu and Kashmir, apple, walnut, and almond farming collectively provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to approximately 2.3 million people in the region. This highlights the significant socio-economic contribution of these horticultural activities to the local communities and the overall economy of Jammu and Kashmir.

The most prominent areas in Kashmir renowned for apple cultivation include Srinagar, Budgam, Shopian, Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramulla, and Kupwara. These regions are known for their conducive climatic conditions and fertile land, which are conducive to high-quality apple production.

“It is perplexing that while the government emphasizes the budget for horticulture, they are simultaneously damaging everything by constructing new railway routes through sustainable land,” said Mohammed, who was among dozens of farmers who staged a protest in their orchards against the proposed railway line.

Constant Challenges Plague Kashmir’s Apple Industry

Kashmir’s apple industry has faced mounting losses in recent years. In 2019, a regional lockdown and early snowfall due to climate change hampered harvests. During the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation delays exceeding 48 hours caused apples to rot. The few that survived the journey fetched significantly lower prices, with some selling for as low as 350 rupees, while production costs exceed 400 rupees per unit. Similarly in the following years, the stoppage of trucks on the highway and then the changing weather patterns have hit the industry.

The Indian government’s decision to waive off a 20 per cent tariff on apples imported from the United States has caused distress among local farmers due to a drop in prices. This move has impacted the competitiveness of domestically grown apples and has led to concerns among farmers regarding the sustainability of their livelihoods.

CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami denouncing the cutting down of the import duty said, “The government’s decision to slash 20 % import duty on Washington apples is bound to impact the local growers across the apple producing states. The decision is in contrast to the popular demand of hiking the duty on such imports. The decision should be rolled back forthwith.”

Amid these constant loses, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a reply to a joint question raised by BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha said that five railway lines have been “approved” in Kashmir.

The news of five new railway lines, a cause for celebration elsewhere in the country, fills Kashmiri apple farmers with dread. These farmers, facing a dry spell due to climate change, have demanded Minimum Support Price (MSP) from the government, which has seemingly turned a blind eye to their plight. Even during bumper harvest years, the government has taken no initiative to safeguard the interests of these farmers.

Zahoor Ahmed, the district president of Kisan Tehreek Jammu Kashmir from south Kashmir’s Kulgam district spoke to The Kashmiriyat and said that despite apple being the bumper crop from the Kashmir valley, the government has failed to take any initiative to prevent the farmers from dumping their produce.

“I met several farmers who sold their product for less than rupees 350 while the cost of production surpasses 400 rupees. Several farmers were forced to dump their product due to the reduced rates and many have even gone on to bulldoze the apple trees. It is a chaotic situation everywhere. We hear the news of farmer suicides in India every day. But if Government continues to neglect the farming sector in Jammu Kashmir, the time is not farm, when such tragedy would hit Kashmir,” Zahoor said.

“On the top of it,” he said, “the government does not provide market intervention schemes like the MSP. Rather than resolving our issues, the government leaves no stone unturned to cause apple farmers more anxiety. The latest hit to the industry is the import of Iranian and American apples.”

Data reveals that between April 2021 and January 2022, a staggering 1947.19 tonnes of Iranian apples valued at 1.82 million USD flooded the Indian market.

Railway Project Threatening Kashmir’s Agricultural Heartland

The Indian government says that the railway project has generated significant employment opportunities, with over 553 lakh man-days of indirect employment created so far. Additionally, the construction of over 215 kilometers of approach roads, including a tunnel and 320 small bridges, contributes to the region’s socio-economic development.

However, the residents don’t share the same idea as the government. “I do not understand how the government system here works,” said Bashir Ahmad Bhat, expressing concerns about recent railway department surveys in their area, spanning approximately 300 feet in width.

“This action is an imposition upon the people, not just from this area, but from almost hundreds of villages around. Usually, when a new scheme or project is introduced, it is done upon the demand from the public. In this case, no one actually requested for actions to be taken. This project is not for the benefit of the people but rather a forceful imposition upon the general public. With the land reducing each passing day and the general human population increasing, it is hard to find sustainable land for our needs. There is no advantage in this project that helps the public; rather, it is just damaging our land.”

Hundreds of farmers have lost their agricultural lands to the developmental projects in the valley, however, most of them have been promised compensation, an idea, the farmers of Reshipora Shopian reject. “As residents of this village, we reject the project proposed by the government and the railway department,” said another local farmer, Abdul Ganie Reshi. “They want to cut down our trees, which are essential for our horticultural industry. Honey production is our sole source of income. We are not salaried employees; we are simple farmers who make a living from this land.”

Abdul Rashid Ganie further said, “They want to cut down our trees, which are essential resources for horticulture. We market honey, and that is our only source of income. We do not require any compensation money in exchange for our lands or trees being taken down. They may pay us well, but our generations have survived on this land. I have survived on this land. My future generations will survive on this land and what it produces. There money will not even sustain one generation of mine.”

He said that the local residents don’t need any railway tracks on our land or benefits from the proposed project. This is not the first time that such impositions have been put upon us. “There is land available from other sides that do not have any agricultural growth. Why must the government involve our lands in the making of this project?” he asked.

Though the locals are fearful of losing their land, they are hopeful that the higher ups will intervene and stop the project. Rehti Begum, a woman in her mid 70’s lamented, “We desire to live in peace, not violence. We are simple, poor people who need to feed our kids and families. Our income is generated through working on our lands, and we are not employees. We request the government to change the route of the railway track project.”

The worries of the community transcend mere economic considerations. “Our environment is preserved with these trees,” emphasized Abdul Gani Reshi. “If we constantly keep cutting them down, it will disrupt the natural balance of the ecosystem, leading to damaging consequences for our habitat and environment. There will be no snow or rain. We need to preserve these trees and plants for ourselves and the upcoming generations.” he said, marching forwards to join the locals raising slogans against the proposed project.