Impact of terrorism on Jammu &
Kash ir s ecology and economy
The o ld s ajo o fli ts f o the ea s 1950 to 2000, have occurred (or are occurring) in
the most biologically diverse and threatened places on earth. A study conducted by a
reputed science journal, Co ser atio Biology , points out 34 biodiversity regions in the
world, Kashmir Himalaya ei g one. Sheltering a rich repository of biodiversity, Jammu and
Kashmir presently stands highly threatened owing to the ongoing conflict.
The State of Jammu and Kashmir has experienced three wars since 1947 and has been in a
a -like situation for close to three decades. Besides the loss of human lives the conflict
has led to the destructio of the te ito s ecological wealth. Due to counter-terrorist
strategies, military forces are forced to set up camps in the forest areas disturbing the
natural habitat of the wild animals who then stray into human settlements. The
unceremonious dumping of arms and ammunition in different ecological zones on both
sides of the Line of Control (LoC) has also had ill effects on the health of the land leading to
soil fertility decline and thereby negatively impacting the agronomic production.
Tourism, one of the biggest employment generators of the State with the potential of
making Jammu and Kashmir one of the most prosperous regions, also took a major hit,
followed by handicraft and the houseboat- and hotel industry which are directly dependent
on tourism. The turmoil has transformed the current society into a lawless one, with more
and more lawless situations emerging out of it. The flood plains which used to be natural
water absorbers have been encroached upon and residential colonies set up, causing
devastating floods.
Forests and Wildlife
The total forest area of Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir State, as per working
plans, is 7810 sq. miles, with region wise distribution as, Kashmir 3138 sq. miles, Jammu
4659 sq. miles and Ladakh 13.8 sq. miles. This is besides the 46660 sq. miles which is in
Pakistan Administered Jammu and Kashmir. Forests have played an important role in the
economy of the State as various independent industries have emerged from it; Eco-tourism,
Turpentine and Resin industry, Kashmir Willow industry, Joinery, Ply and other wood based
industries and pharmaceuticals. Not long ago, Jammu and Kashmir had the credit of being
one of the thickly forested areas of the world, but the ongoing armed conflict terrorists and
the State apparatus has had devastating effects on not only forests, but also its wildlife.
Timber-smuggling, though not a new phenomenon, witnessed a spurt from 1989 when
terrorism started, owing to the inability of the law enforcement agencies to effectively deal
with smugglers because of great danger in and around forests. Owing to the ongoing unrest,
the police and forest guards are unable to protect the forests and smugglers continue
unabated loot. As per trusted sources, 72 Forest Officers including a conservator of forests
and some junior officers fell prey to bullets during the insurgency in their attempts to
prevent timber-smuggling.
A Forest Protection Group was formed in 1996, but continues to remain unarmed. It is yet
to be given arms clearance from security agencies making it difficult for unarmed members
of this group to protect the forests against armed smugglers. There have been many cases
of vandalization despite the presence of Forest Protection force personnel.
The wildlife that acted as deterrent to timber-smuggling, is rapidly declining throughout the
Valley as the smugglers deliberately set fire to destroy evidence of their offence.
Ever since terrorism started in 1989, Kashmir Valley has lost more than 59 sq. miles out of
7810 sq. miles of forest cover, disrobing the land of old grown forest leaves and exposing it
to heavy rainfall leading to water rushing down the hills and eroding the loose soil which
eventually flows into rivers and lakes. Additionally, deforestation and mismanagement of
water resources have also caused soil erosion, which cause frequent flash floods in the
State. Around 8% of landmass of the region is prone to floods. In a span of 33 years from
1973 – 2006, 13 floods were experienced with frequency of occurrence of just 2.5 years and
with an average annual damage of more than 15.6 million USD.
Due to excessive biotic pressure, heavy exploitation for purpose of timber, fuelwood
extraction, grazing and other local uses, the forest cover has been reduced to only 4247 sq.
miles which we may refer to as good fo est , out of 7810 sq. miles, and the rest of the
forest area has been degraded. Available data reveals that most of the faunal diversity,
which is about 66%, lies along the 460 miles long and 15.5 miles wide Line of Control (LoC)
and a considerable percentage of it has been lost to landmines. In their pursuit to
apprehend terrorists there is also a widespread use of high velocity rifles by security forces
and other methods like electrical fenced, solid steel walls, all-night lighting, multiple-layered
vehicle barriers, an immense network of newly bladed roads, a 24-hour flow of patrol
vehicles (including ATVs-all terrain vehicles), constant low-level aircraft over fighters, and
foot patrols. Although these measures have been designed to counter terrorist activities,
they also create barriers to the wildlife movement in the villages and forests surrounding
the Himalayan Valley.
In addition, rare species like Snow Leopard, Ibex, Blue Sheep, Urian, Kashmiri Otter, the big
horned sheep, and Antelope, are frequently hunted and poached for its precious skin and
teeth which are sold in international markets at exorbitant prices.
Barking Deer, Cheetal, Nilgai, Musk Deer, Himalayan Black Bear, Shapu,Ibex, Blue
Sheep, Marmot and Lynz may soon become extinct if their unrestricted slaughter is
not checked-(Crook,1998).
These forests used to be an abode to about 300 species of birds like Quills, Pheasants,
Vultures, Kites, Partridges and Eagles, and stand naked today and void of any visible sign of
bird life, there being only a variety of ducks, geese, ferns and water-fowls nesting in
wetlands, lakes and streams.
Lakes / Waterbodies
There are over a thousand waterbodies in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Major rivers
that flow through the State are Jhelum, Chenab, Indus and Tawi. Other rivers that originate
from glaciers in the Himalayan region are the Ganges and the Yamuna. The State has
numerous lakes and wetlands at different altitudes, bounded on all sides by Himalayan
Mountains. There are about 500 lakes in the Kashmir Valley, Dal Lake and Wular Lake being
the most prominent ones. Jammu division has two lakes, Mansar and Surinsar Lake
respectively while Pangong Tso Lake, Tsomoriri Lake and Tsokar Lake are the lakes in
Ladakh. There are also around 2500 glacial lakes in Gilgit Baltistan (Pakistan Administered
Kashmir).
With the onset of terrorism in early 1990, the State witnessed deterioration in the law and
order situation that continues up till today. In response, numerous military installations
have been raised along the banks of major rivers and lakes to keep a vigil on terrorists, yet in
the absence of an efficient and effective system to dispose waste, the stay of the military is
posing a danger to the ecology of water as the waste is let free into the water bodies leading
to increase in the nutrient content in the water and formation of deadly bacteria.
Dal Lake, one of the prominent lakes of Kashmir Valley, has shrunk to 4.24 sq. miles from 36
sq. miles that it used to be in 1880, due to the large-scale conversion of water into land.
Since there is no fear of punitive action, some have taken advantage of the current
situation, and have encroached public land especially in and around the lake. The waste
material from the houseboats also pours into the lake. It has been observed that weeds like
water moss, azolla and duckweed are flourishing rapidly in water bodies and these
proliferating weeds, that have grown over the periphery of Dal Lake, block the sunlight from
reaching the plants living under water, thus depriving aquatic life and lake of oxygen. The
illegal encroaching of land, farming and setting up small crafts factories and hotel buildings
has a ted as a dete e t to p oje ts like Dal Lake Clea i g hi h sta ted i “epte e
2005 and enjoys 100% funding from the Government of India, in view of the Special Status
of Jammu and Kashmir, to be executed by the State Government. The cleaning of Dal Lake
would mean rehabilitating 50,000 people of 10,000 families who live in and on the lake and
to be settled at a place which is not away from it, so that they could earn their livelihood,
was one of the greatest hurdles in cleaning the lake, as explained by one of the State
Government officials.
The fate of Wular lake is no different. Wular is one of the largest fresh water lakes of Asia,
playing a significant role in the hydrographic system of the Kashmir Valley and acting as a
huge absorption basin for the annual flood waters. The lake is fighting a losing battle against
illegal encroachment with vegetable gardens, toilets, residential structure and garbage
dumping sites. Wular Lake is an important fish resource, accounting for about 60% of the
total fish production in the State and a source of sustenance for a huge chunk of human
population living along its fringes. The lake has been encroached upon from all sides by
massive plantation of trees and extension of agriculture fields, killing its aesthetic beauty.
Wular Conservation Management Authority (WUCMA) has been established for the
conservation of the lake. According to official sources, the WUCMA roughly releases over
60,000 USD annually to local municipalities for waste disposal but the funds are allegedly
misused and instead, at least 100-ton waste is dumped into the water body on a daily basis.
In addition to garbage which is burnt leading to air pollution, construction debris are also
dumped in the lakebeds. One finds it hard to believe that about 20 years back the water of
Wula Lake as used fo d i ki g pu poses a d i the p ese t ti es it s so polluted that
even the birds that frequented the lake earlier are nowhere to be spotted.
The summer capital city, Srinagar has lost more than 50% of its water bodies from year 1911
to 2004, owing to unplanned urbanization resulting in the fact that excess water from the
Jhelum has nowhere to flow; wetlands which were natural sinks have been converted into
agricultural fields and residential areas.
Glaciers
The state possesses highest number of glaciers outside the polar regions amounting to 60%
of the Indian Himalayas and 13% of its geographical area, with Siachen Glacier, in the
Ladakh region, at an elevation of 3.35 miles with an area of 27.3 sq. miles, being the largest.
There are 5000 glaciers and 2500 glacial lakes in Gilgit Baltistan (Pakistan Administered
Kashmir), with a potential of generating power of 52,000 MW. The studies conducted in the
last three decades by National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, India revealed that the
glaciers in Ladakh, Zanskar and the Great Himalayan ranges of Jammu and Kashmir are
generally receding with a glacial volume change between 3.6% to 97% and degradation
ranging from 17% to 25%. The Nubra Valley of Jammu and Kashmir has 114 small-sized
glaciers varying between less than 3.1 miles and 6.2 miles in length. The glaciers of the
Valley have not shown much change in their length and area during the period 1989–2001,
however, variable decline in the glacial area of the Siachen glacier has been observed, with a
reduction in its area from 384 sq. miles in 1969 to 360 sq. miles in 1989 and a further
change in area has been observed from 360 sq. miles to 359 sq. miles during the decade of
1989– 2001. The reason for this change has been attributed to the continuous shelling at
large scale and military activities and the dumping of non-biodegradable waste by the
military forces that has become a part of the snow on Siachen Glacier. The studies reveal
that since the year of militarization of the glacier in 1984, about 21,6,000 tons of load has
been transported the e, as a o se ue e of hi h “ia he Gla ie has e o e the o ld s
highest battlefield and a garbage dump.
There are nearly 20,000 military personnel deployed at Siachen for whom thousands of tons
of food and other supplies are transported every year and about 40% of the nonbiodegradable waste that is left behind is plastic and metal. World Commission on Protected
Areas (WCPA) of World Conservation Union (IUCN) estimates that, on the Indian side alone,
over 1 ton of human waste is dropped daily into crevasses. Siachen is polluted by the
remains of crashed helicopters, worn out gun barrels, splinters from gun shelling, empty fuel
barrels, burnt shelters, telephone wires, skid boards, parachute dropping boards, edible oil
containers, canisters, gunny bags, rotten vegetables, bad meat, expired tinned meat,
cartons, wrappers, shoes, clothing and ration items.
The clothing used in warfare is washed at the hot Sulphur springs, the toxic residue flowing
into the Nubra River and because of the absence of natural biodegrading agents, waste
material like plastic, metals etc. merge with the glacier taking shape of permanent
pollutants and toxins like cobalt, cadmium which eventually flows into the Indus river used
by millions of people (from India and Pakistan) downstream from Siachen for drinking and
irrigation purposes.
Though Siachen does not have any native population owning to its harsh climatic conditions,
it has experienced large scale loss of plant and animal biodiversity. Glacial habitats of ibex,
brown bears, cranes, snow leopards and few other species are threatened which has led the
World Wide Fund of Nature to designate the entire Tibetan Plateau Steppe (one of the
largest land-based wilderness areas left in the world having most pristine mountain
grassland in Eurasia), which encompasses the Siachen Glacier as one of the 200 areas,
iti al to o se atio .
The Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board is the only Government agency charged
with the environmental protection of this area but has largely failed. Despite bearing the
scars of the military conflicts between India and Pakistan, the glacier and its surroundings
remain rich in biodiversity, but it is esti ated that o e tha 3 % of the egio s a pa t
flora is threatened from the military presence in the area. The troop movements around
strategic locations and firing practice and the military debris, have left behind disturbed
wildlife, affecting their breeding, spreading disease and bringing species like Tibetan Gazelle
to the verge of extinction. The environment challenges in the region concern ecologists who
have urged both India and Pakistan to reduce their military presence in the regions, and
jointly begin the task of regenerating its biodiversity by setting up the peace park,
unfortunately with no positive outcome.
Agriculture/ Fertile Land
Agriculture occupies an important place in the economy of the Jammu and Kashmir State
owing to the State s agro-climatic conditions best suited for horticulture and
floriculture. Horticulture is the mainstay of the rural economy, providing employment to
large number of local inhabitants, but the ongoing conflict has effected the fertility of the
land.
The i pa t a e see o the e tu ies old o adi t i es of Gujja s & Baka als , ho
constitute more than 20% population of the State. The military agencies and terrorists
impose restrictions on these tribal migrations in the border and strategic areas causing
dramatic changes in their lifestyle, forcing them to settle in plains. Their fertile lands near
LoC have become barren due to the shelling and laying of landmines, and they are left with
no option but to move out of their traditional occupations and suffer equally in terms of
man and material.
The ways in which landmines cause land degradation are, loss of biodiversity, micro-relief
disruption, chemical contamination, and loss of productivity, irrespective of them being
detonated or not. A simple mine costs less than 3 USD, but its clearance requires 300 USD to
1000 USD making de-mining a very costly and slow process. Additionally, low availability of
land (access denial), degradation of the soil (micro-relief disruption, chemical
contamination), combined with loss of flora and fauna diversity add up to land degradation
which leads to reduction in produce of an otherwise productive land.
Tourism
Kashmir Valley, of Jammu and Kashmir State, known for its natural beauty and cultural
heritage, su ou ded
ou tai s a peted s o is pe ti e tl efe ed to as The
Pa adise o Ea th .
From an English point of view the valley contains nearly everything which should
make life enjoyable. There is sport varied and excellent, there is scenery for the artist
and layman, mountains for the mountaineer, flowers for the botanist, a vast field for
the geologist and magnificent ruins for the archaeologist - The Valley of Kashmir
(1895) -Travel Book by Sir Walter Roper Lawrence.
The land of such strategic location with rare concoction of mountains, lakes, forests, fertile
land, tulip gardens, splendid blue skies and rich cultural heritage used to be flocked by
tourists from times immemorial till peace of this land of unending glory was disrupted by
the te o g oups i ea l 99 s, hi h led to loss of tou is e e ue, eati g a e o o i
vacuum in the Valley.
The three decades long armed conflict and geo-political instability has impacted every socioeconomic activity in Kashmir Valley. Besides art and crafts sectors, tourism has been the
worst hit of this continuous unrest. Peace, conflict and revenue generating sectors like
tourism, arts and crafts and apple orchards (in case of the Valley) anywhere in the world are
intertwined and disturbances in any of the three impacts the other two. Regardless of the
abundance of scenic beauty and rich cultural heritage, the constant fear of death and
continued unrest led to the loss of tourist appetite for this destination.
As per the available data, the tourist arrival was prodigious 0.72 million in 1988, followed by
a drastic dip in 1991, when it was reduced to mere 6287 tourists annually. Ordinarily, a
traveler has two questions: he e a d ho to t a el ut he it o es to Jammu and
Kashmir, the question cha ges to hethe to t a el o ot.
Unless terrorism is viewed as a crisis by the tourism industry, energy and resources
a ot e effe ti ely ha eled i to its a age e t - Sevil.F Sonmez (1999)Speaker-University of Central Florida, occupational/leisure/health.
Historical sites and other tourist spots have either been in use by the military or have
become hideouts and safe havens for terrorists. The security experts state that they have no
other option than to use large number of troops to mitigate challenges thrown by terrorism.
From the point of view of tourism, whether or not there should be Army troops in large
numbers is debatable, as the native population feels presence of security forces and
infrastructure raised by them is the primary hindrance for tourist inflow, whereas tourists
traveling to Kashmir valley feel presence of security forces psychologically motivates them
to visit Kashmir and makes them feel safer. The year 1987, pre-terrorism period was the last
big revenue generating season for Jammu and Kashmir tourism, and accounted for
approximately 10% of the State s income, while the following 23 years contributed virtually
nothing. The international tourists constituted a significant percentage of the tourists
visiting Kashmir, who spent large sums on handicraft products, and invested in adventure
sports like trekking, skiing and rafting. However, there have been series of headline grabbing
incidences, especially the one in 1995 when some foreign tourist trekkers were kidnapped
by terrorists, among whom one was be-headed, one escaped and other four untraced, who
were later declared as dead, which proved to be a major blow for FTAs (Foreign Tourist
Arrivals). As a consequence of this specific incident negative travel advisories to visit
Kashmir were issued by foreign nations, adversely affecting the tourist revenue generated
by foreign visitors. Attacking international tourists works in favor of terror groups, as it leads
to higher media- and international attention and spreads terror among the local community.
Besides foreign nationals, Indian tourists were also targeted. The Srinagar International
Airport witnessed three major terror attacks and Srinagar was once declared as the most
threatened site in India by the World Monuments Fund (WMF), placing it on the 2008 List of
Most Endangered Sites. It is estimated that the State of Jammu and Kashmir lost around 27
million tourists from 1989-2002, leading to a tourism revenue loss of 3.6 billion USD and
consequent high unemployment. The owners of hotels, guest houses and houseboats,
whose business is completely dependent upon the inflow of tourists suffered major
economic losses. Nearly 1094 houseboats in Dal Lake, Nigeen Lake and River Jhelum and all
those people employed in their running were rendered idle, forcing them to look for
alternative sources of income. The employability in this sector will continue to be volatile as
any terror attack would mean loss of business for tourism industry and impact handicraft,
carpet industry, hotel industry which are majorly dependent on tourism. The handicraft
industry, providing employment to more than 300,000 people, has witnessed a drastic dip in
the production of art work like paper mache items, wooden art-ware and Kashmiri rugs,
which are highly appreciated and purchased by (international) tourists.
Impact of Hartals (Shutdowns) and curfews
I toda s age of I te et of Thi gs IoT i stead of usi g ode
ea s of o
u i atio
to put forth their demands and reach out to larger masses, the separatists groups opt to rely
upon Hartals (strikes) and shutdowns, thereby making people abstain from work. The
unending era of strikes is as old as terrorism in the Kashmir Valley, where from an arrest of a
militant commander to the killing of a civilian, is followed by week long strikes which
gradually decayed the economy of the State. There have also been times when strikes were
enforced by separatist and terrorists upon the people of Kashmir because of unrelated
incidents happening in the larger Muslim world.
These strikes have failed to attract international attention and lost their relevance
nationally, as they remain localized to few localities of Srinagar and other towns in the State.
The daily wagers, street vendors, passenger bus drivers, conductors, fruit sellers, who must
step out of the house every day to be able to feed themselves and people dependent on
them, are the primary and worst casualties of the shutdowns and continue to suffer silently.
The curfew which was imposed on 18th July 2016, which started after the unrest in response
to the killing of a so-called militant commander, Burhan Wani, of a Pakistani-based terrorist
group, Hizbul Mujahideen was one of the harshest ever curfews which continued for a
period of six months across all ten districts of Kashmir. For the initial 51 days of the curfew,
people remained confined to the four walls of their houses without a break or what is
referred to in Kash i as deal . Curfew remained in place strictly during days as well as
nights. The Jammu based business claimed to have suffered an estimated loss of 1.5 billion
USD in those 51 days of Hartal and curfew as Kashmir receives majority of supplies from
edibles to industrial goods from Jammu where major industries of the State are situated.
Most of the multinational companies supplying edibles to the State have stationed their
forwarding agents in Jammu, therefore all the supplies that are meant to reach Kashmir are
bound to pass through the Jammu region.
The tourist arrival went down from 12,000 tourists to 250 per day with hotel and houseboat
occupancy around 3%; The Valley was reduced to just being a stopover destination for
tourists visiting Ladakh.
Kashmir is one of the largest producers of apples; 70% of apples that are sold in mainland
India are from Kashmir. For fruit growers/farmers/vendors, these Hartals meant that daily
produce of fruit could not be transported to outside markets and since there is not a single
cold storage in Srinagar, the fruits if not sold or transported to outside markets, got rotten
effecting the business on a daily basis. It is estimated that due to persistent shutdowns, fruit
growers have incurred a loss of 1.24 to 1.4 billion USD.
Horticulture is the mainstay of Kashmir's economy, with 2300,000 people associated with
this sector. More than 1301.16 sq. miles are under fruit cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir,
of which 841.70 sq. miles of land is under the fruit cultivation in the Valley, of which 65 per
cent comprises of apple orchards. Going by conservative estimates, from horticulture to
hospitality, a loss of over 9.33 million USD has been incurred during the 51 days long Hartals
and curfews.
Others affected by Hartals, are people associated with art and craft industry, who find
neither transporters nor any buyers for their shawls and artwork. The strikes have had
adverse effects on other aspects of life like education and healthcare. The educational
institutions remain shut during hartals with children losing days and sometimes months of
their academic calendar and the sick unable to access medical help. It is hard to
o p ehe d h the Ha tal st ateg is e e de ated by separatist groups or the
population as to why it is the preferred strategy to make their presence felt in the valley.
These unnecessary calls for shutdowns have outlived their utility; the only achievement so
far has been putting the lives of common man in danger and making survival difficult.
Impact on Education
The education sector in Kashmir has suffered the most irreparable damage due to terrorism,
protests, strikes and shutdown calls which have become the order of the day in Kashmir
Valley. The continuing disturbed environment has resulted in complete disruption of
academic schedules. On an average, schools, colleges, training institutions and universities
have remained closed for at least two days every week.
The existing education process in Jammu and Kashmir does t e pose the learners to
cultural values, inter-community relationships, communal harmony, diversity of people,
their religions and backgrounds unlike the students of pre-terrorism era who learnt about
their heritage, naturally through common shared spaces like festivals, weddings,
educational institutions and public intermingling of different cultural and religious
communities. The learners who started their education 1990 onwards have no reference of
communal harmony, heritage or diversity of people. Their sole reference being that of
existing turmoil, terrorism, anger, aggressiveness, violence and despair. Sadly, even the
teachers are detached from the experience of diversity and the teaching remains confined
to the academic curriculum, which lacks the strength to develop the emotional, mental,
social or intellectual capabilities of learners and teachers.
Thi ki g a k of my time at school and thereafter up until 1990, the classroom
space was a diverse mix of Hindu and Muslim children studying together. Besides
school, however, the opportunity for a secular experience for children is limited in the
Valley”- Neerja Mattoo, Retired School Principal and Educator.
As per the census of 2001, the literacy rate of Jammu and Kashmir stands at 55%, while the
national literacy rate in India, was 65.38%. The literacy rate for women stood at a dismal
43% as compared to 66% for males. The current education system in the Valley has
transformed into an arrangement where religious teaching is the only source of moral
values for students, which has created an opportunity for the exploitation by certain
extremist and fundamentalist groups and individuals for political gains, especially targeting
young students.
Due to the incidences of violence and frequent strikes, the number of working days have
drastically reduced; teachers are more concerned about completing the syllabus rather than
imparting knowledge and skills to the students. The education sector in rural Kashmir is in
an equally dismal state. As per unofficial estimates, about 35% students studying in primary
and secondary stages in the villages, drop-out for reasons directly or indirectly related to
terrorism.
In rural areas, there are less private schools as people just cannot afford it. The
students who belong to financially weaker sections are totally dependent on the
government for education, but lack of infrastructure and other facilities affects their
learning le els as a result of hi h they lag ehi d, -Naseer Ahmad, a teacher from
South Kashmir.
The curriculum followed by Jammu and Kashmir State Board of Education demands revision
as the syllabus and content taught is largely outdated and irrelevant, with almost zero focus
on art, music and other extra-curricular activities.
Education in the Valley has suffered a silent death, where people gather together in large
numbers to protest against the killing of a terrorist, or complain about economic losses and
delays in developmental work, but have never held a single protest showing concern for loss
of education-days or deprivation of opportunities to attain knowledge.
Impact on the mental health of people
In last 20 years, there has been a rise in the number of psychological problems like stress,
trauma and depression related cases in Srinagar, giving rise to general health conditions like
hypertension, cardiac problems and diabetes. The psychological disorder like Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PSTD), which develops in people who have experienced a shocking, scary,
or dangerous event can be directly attributed to terrorism in the State as before the onset
of terrorism, disorders of this kind were unheard of. The cure of this mental condition is
difficult as the patient needs a peaceful environment to heal which Kashmir cannot provide.
There is a manifold increase in cases where people experience dreadful dreams, particularly
in case of women who have experienced violent incidents. There are other mental disorders
like bipolar disorder, panic, phobia, generalized anxiety and sleep disorders which have
shown manifold increase post 1990.
Every day I treat a good number of patients complaining of sleep disorders. These
ight ares are due to u derlyi g distress, - Dr. Mushaq Margoob,Professor &
Head, Post Graduate Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College,
Srinagar and Director Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Srinagar (J&K).
According to mental health experts, if trauma and stress is neglected it can become a
genetic disorder and transmits due to structural change and degeneration in certain areas in
the brain, thereafter transferring from one generation to another. Some community surveys
reveal that 25% of the people in Kashmir Valley suffer from lifetime depressive disorders,
and complain of sleep disorders, headache, heart palpitations, dizziness etc.
The increase on the mental health issues has also led to suicides. The feeling of insecurity
a d o ti uous th eat to o e s life has flawed the psychological growth of people.
A o di g to a epo t o statisti s a aila le o the A ide tal Deaths a d “ui ides i I dia
published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of
India, in the year 2011, 287 people in the State of Jammu and Kashmir lost their lives by
committing suicide. These suicidal deaths which include 143 females and 144 males are
higher than 2010 when 259 persons committed suicide, an increase of 10.8% as compared
to the National average of 0.7%. The report reveals the highest incidence of suicide in the
age group of 15-29 with 127 deaths which includes 87 females and 40 males, followed by
the age group of 30-40 with 92 deaths which includes 53 males and 39 females. The reasons
for suicide attempts witnessed are job unavailability, relationship issues, examination
results, depression due to excessive intake of drugs, peer pressure, loss in business and
marital discord. Due to lack of knowledge, many patients never find out the causes behind
their falling psychological health and the ones who are aware, generally shy away from the
treatment with the fear of being la elled i sa e , o i g to the stig a attached to visiting
psychiatrists. The people in Kashmir lack peace of mind as some have lost their dear families
members and some their sole bread winners which has impacted them in different
measures making them emotionally disturbed. Terrorism has contributed to the sudden
transformation of the Kashmiri society giving rise to depression among people which in turn
has led to an increase in the rate of suicide.
Conclusion
Cross-border terrorism has been rampant in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir State
since 1989, leading to massive socio-economic downswing, which will take enormous fund
of time to resurrect. It has not only led to a social and economic decline but disturbed the
ecological balance as well.
The conflict has affected all important sources of livelihood of local populace such as
agriculture, horticulture, tourism and handicraft industry, with many traders having to shift
their trading centers from Valley to other parts of the country and few others forced to look
for an alternative source of income to survive the economic crisis.
The forests of Kashmir which used to be an abode of rare wildlife species are being
exploited by terrorists and timber smugglers equally. They serve as perfect hiding places for
terrorists while their presence negatively impacts the forest work making patrols difficult
and dangerous which further helps timber smugglers continue unabated loot of forests. The
timber smugglers indulge in setting forest to fire to hide their crime after cutting trees from
a spot, destroying the natural habitat of wildlife species.
Another reason for the shrinking of forests is illegal encroachments. The forests under
encroachment in the Kashmir and Jammu region are 18.8 sq. miles and 36.6 sq. miles
respectively. It has been estimated that a ban on cutting trees and establishing further
encroachments of not less than 10-15 years is required to preserve whichever forest cover is
left for the coming generations, which will also prevent advances of deserts and give large
support to agriculture and animal husbandry.
All major lakes of Jammu and Kashmir including the famous Dal Lake and Wular Lake have
turned into cesspools. Many constructions have been raised along the banks of lakes and
rivers, and in the absence of proper waste disposal systems, it flows in the water which not
only contaminates the water but also reduces the fish catches, primary means of livelihood
for fishermen. The Government attempted to install Sewage Treatment Plans (STPs) in the
houseboats which turned out to be a failure due to operational and monitoring issues and
resistance from the houseboat-owners.
The ai pollutio has agg a ated si e 99 s, o e of the ajo auses a e att i uted to
the use of coal heate s alled Bhukhari . Efforts must be taken to replace such
conventional approaches with non-conventional heating systems.
Education is yet another equally important casualty of terrorism. Schools shut down for
months because of Hartals and curfews, leading to loss of class time. Many of the
Government schools that cater to children who cannot afford private schools, have been
burned down by terrorists.
In 2015, the Ja
u a d Kash i ad i ist atio losed 3,
su plus s hools, he e
teachers outnumbered students. In eight districts, including Srinagar, Kargil and Jammu,
there were 127 schools with teachers but no student enrollments. Not only is the curriculum
followed by the Jammu and Kashmir State Board of Education outdated but it also lacks the
strength to expose the learner to threads like communal harmony, religious and cultural
diversity. Education is one of the strongest drivers of economic progress and the most
powerful and effective tool to reduce poverty; youth demand jobs, but both the education
s ste a d edu ato s la k the effi a to ake stude ts jo - ead .
Human resource which is one of the biggest assets of any society, has suffered enormously.
Terrorism has been the main reason for the displacement of several non-Muslim
communities like Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus), Sikhs, Buddhists and other minorities. Many
Kashmiri Muslims have also started migrating to mainland India and other parts of the world
for better job prospects and peaceful environment, depriving the State of its human
resource.
With killings, rapes, and other forms of crime becoming the order of the day in Kashmir
Valley, psychiatric disorders have seen a sharp rise post 1989. Several human lives have
been lost over the past three decades and the State is in danger of losing its younger
generation, majority of which is in the grip of drug hurricane, weakening the morale,
physique and character of the youth. The women have become increasingly suicidal
resorting to temporary means of comfort like sleeping pills, inhalations and injections. There
is an urgent need to understand that mental disorders are not medical conditions but deeprooted social issues.
Apart from disrupting ecological balance, education, employability, economy, people,
culture and heritage, health and hygiene, terrorism has also led to disruption of law and
order from Kashmir Valley providing a fertile ground for corrupt practices. A study by
T a spa e
I te atio al , a o -government world body (NGO) in 2005, declared
Jammu and Kashmir as the most corrupt State after Bihar (India). In the State of Jammu and
Kashmir in general and Kashmir valley in particular, gun is not simply used to address the
threat of crime, but to negotiate positions. The gun in Kashmir today has become bigger
than the law enforcing bodies and the law itself. The person carrying it has the power to buy
loyalties, to threaten Government officials and have them grant the permission to convert
water stream into an agrarian piece of land or to buy examination question papers.
Timber smugglers stripping the forests and yet maneuvering around without any fear,
shrinking of water streams, fake schools and teachers, unabated encroachment of land,
illegal hotel constructions, and several other acts of crime are an outcome of terrorism and
subsequent lawlessness in the Valley.
Prior to the advent of terrorism, a separate budget was allocated towards the infrastructural
development of the tourist resorts, which is no more a priority for the authorities
responsible as the funds are currently being directed towards counter terrorism activities.
Cross border terrorism has bred financial and political corruption which can be witnessed in
the form of a declining economy, paralyzed education system, burnt school buildings,
broken down places of worship and mind boggling looting in the system, and it seems to
have become a socially accepted evil. There is a need to build effective and accountable
institutions at all levels, where people take ownership and are answerable to the system
and promote a sense of belonging. Terrorism has only created a terrorized society losing its
very existence due to the ongoing-violence under the false pretexts of independence,
merger with Pakistan and establishment of a so-called Islamic Caliphate.
Human beings have always tried to battle with nature, ignoring the essential fact that
nature can put back an equally tough fight. The people of the State need to realize that a
healthy, productive natural ecosystem is essential for economic sustainability, which in
essence translates into freedom.
May 2017. © European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS), Amsterdam