Kashmir’s Business Community Sends Out SOS on ‘Sea of Debt and Destruction’
Kashmir’s business community including traders, hoteliers, silk producers, artisans, fruit associations and other trade and commerce bodies have sent out an SOS in a full-page ad published on Wednesday in several local dailies. The SOS message emphasises that the “ill-fated trade, tourism, horticulture, agriculture, handicrafts, commerce and industrial community of Kashmiris is in the middle of the sea of debt and destruction”.
“Approximately 1000 days (more than 2.5 years) of standstill since 2008 until this day due to unrest and turmoil, made our survival vulnerable,” the SOS message says, adding that “despite the fact that we have not earned a single penny during these troubled spells, we never have been hesitant in paying bank interests, different administrative charges, salaries to our staff and maintaining our families.”
The SOS message also takes a dig at the government for selling “false dreams” at a time when the local business community is in distress, suffering crores of losses due to the communication shutdown imposed for months following the reading down of Article 370 on August 5 last year.…
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