Podcast; Voices from the lockdown: Violence against non-locals mars apple trade in Kashmir as transporters, traders fear for their lives

It has been 75 days since the state of Jammu and Kashmir lost its semi-autonomous status, and three days since the Valley’s communication channels were partially restored after a lockdown. Internet and prepaid mobile services still remain down. However, with the resumption of postpaid mobile links coincides with a fresh bout of violence — that unleashed against non-local civilians and especially those associated with the apple trade. Sharifuddin Khan from Rajasthan, Sethi Kumar Sagar from Chattisgarh and Charanjeet Singh from Punjab have been shot dead in Kashmir in the span of one week. Khan was a trucker, Kumar was a brick kiln worker and Singh was an apple trader. One more trucker, Sanjeev Singh from Punjab who was attacked along with Charanjeet Singh, is critical at the moment. These incidents have further affected Kashmir, which has been under a clampdown since the 5 August decision of the Indian government to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35A. Apple trade had just started to resume operations since postpaid mobile services were restored in the Valley on Monday. But these killings have sent shockwaves across Kashmir. Markets have shut down and transporters and traders alike, fear for their lives. In today’s episode of Firstpost podcast, Voices from the lockdown, we will explore the predicament of truckers, both non-local and local, and traders from the fruit markets of Kashmir. In the first segment, Quaratulain Rehbar will talk to us about her conversations with multiple truckers, who are in Kashmir at the moment, stuck between taking the road back home and protecting their life. Included are excerpts from interviews with truckers Dilbagh Singh from Punjab, Irfan from Haryana, and Darshan Singh from Punjab. In the second segment, we will speak to Javid Ahmad and Mansoor Peer, who have spoken to the traders from Shopian and Sopore Markets. The podcast also includes excerpts from interviews with Muhammad Ashraf Wani, President of the Shopian Fruit Growers Association and Fayaz Ahmed Malik, the President of the Sopore Fruit Market Traders Association.