COVER STORY

Labour at Gunpoint in Kashmir

Vol. , Issue No. , May - June, 2004

Sanjiv Pandita is Programme Officer, Occupational Safety and Health, Asia Monitor Resource Centre, Hong Kong. (Sanjiv Pandita)

For Abdul Majid, the summer of 2004 is turning out to be very special. Majid, who operates a shikara (a house boat) in the picturesque Dal Lake in Srinagar, is smiling for the first time in nearly one-and-half decades. His eyes sparkle with hope though his wrinkled face hides the untold miseries that have befallen this beautiful landscape. The reason for his hope is the huge number of tourists who have flocked to Kashmir this year. “I have every reason to smile,” says Majid. “The Dal used to be full of tourists in summer earlier and I used to make a decent living. But it has been a hard struggle for my family in the last 14 years when hardly any tourists visited the valley. This year, there have been already a lot of tourists and I have been busy like the old times.” Majid and several other workers like him feel that if tourists continue to come, their lives would be different. “I am keeping my fingers crossed as nothing can be certain about Kashmir,” says Majid.

Majid’s apprehensions are endorsed by the presence of a large number of army personnel and armoured vehicles on the Boulevard Road along the Dal Lake. Though tourists are flocking to Kashmir, thousands of workers in the state who toil everyday to sustain themselves and their families under the shadows of perpetual violence wish another militant attack did not occur. Fourteen years of violence and political turmoil have taken a huge toll on the working population of the state.

Development Scenario in Jammu and Kashmir as Compared to India
Dimension and Variables	India	Jammu and Kashmir
Dimension and Variables	India	Level	Rank
Population Structure and Distribution
Population Density 2001 (Persons per sq. km)	324	99	31
*Status of Women*
Sex Ratio, 2001 (Females per 1000 males)	933	900	26
Female Literacy Rate, 2001	54.16	41.82	33
Agriculture
Net Sown Area 1996-97 (Hectare)	142819	733	16
Net Sown Area Irrigated 1996-97 (Hectare)	55143	313	16
Value of agriculture production, 1995 (Rupees per capita)	N.A	1125	N.A
*Industrialization and Urbanization*
Proportion of Urban Population, 2001 (Per Cent)	27.78	24.88	20
Industries per lakh of population, 1999	13	4	19
Per Capita Electricity Consumption (1997-98 (Kwh)	349.1	223.7	20
*Social Development*
Population below Poverty line, 1993-94 (Per Cent)	35.97	25.17	23
Work Participation rate, 2001 (Per Cent)
Literacy Rate, 2001 (Per Cent)	65.38	54.46	33
*Sources: Census of India, 2001 and Statistical Abstract of India, 1999.*

The Conflict

Jammu and Kashmir has a history of conflicts. India and Pakistan administer parts of Jammu and Kashmir divided by a ceasefire line also known as the Line of Actual Control (LoC). Both India and Pakistan claim their right to the whole state. India has fought three wars with Pakistan on Kashmir. However, the history of the present conflict dates back to 1989 when armed militancy started in the state due to various reasons like break- down of political and democratic institutions in the state. Various youths with the support of Pakistan started an armed struggle against the Indian government. Soon diverse groups with diverse motives, some seeking independence from both India and Pakistan and others wanting the state to become part of Pakistan, took up arms. Indian government responded by sending a huge contingent of army into the state (which is still present there) and a low intensity war has been going on ever since. A land which was once famous for its Sufi culture and religious tolerance, has been witnessing bomb blasts, cross firing and army crackdown.

Districts of J&K
Jammu Division	Kashmir Division
Jammu	Srinagar
Doda	Pulwama
Rajouri	Anantnag
Poonch	Kupwara
Kathua	Badgam
Udhampur	Baramulla
	Leh
	Kargil

Thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died since the beginning of the militancy. Jammu and Kashmir is one of the highest militarised areas in the world. Troops of India and Pakistan exchange regular fire along the LoC in the state which has often resulted in the death of civilians living near the LoC and destruction of their property. In January 2002, after the terror attack on the Indian Parliament, the two countries reached the brink of war when more than a million troops were deployed across both side of borders (India 700,000 and Pakistan 400,000). The developmental activities came to a virtual standstill in early 1990s and a large portion of the state’s resources was used to combat terrorism, which dried up funding for almost all major developmental projects. This has resulted in bankruptcy of the state’s finances. In addition, the tax base of the state eroded and the income could not grow due to difficulty in collection of user charges and sales tax. In 2000-2001, there was a revenue deficit of Rs 961 crore while the fiscal deficit increased to Rs 1,873 crore. This has led to further deterioration of the basic infrastructure.

Disappearing Jobs

The state provides very few employment opportunities to its population and this is perhaps one of the impediments to long lasting peace in the state. The population of the state has increased from 59.87 lakh in 1981 to 100.70 lakh in 2001. The number of workers increased by 39 per cent to 36.89 lakh in the year 2001 of which regular workers constituted 25.36 lakh and marginal workers 11.52 lakh. Among the total workforce, about 43.36 per cent are cultivators, 6.74 per cent agricultural labourers and the remaining 49.9 per cent are engaged in other activities including household industries. Female workers contribute about 28.4 per cent of the total workforce and the share of female marginal workers is 66.84 per cent of the total female workers.

Bibliography

Author Name: Sanjiv Pandita
Title of the Article: Labour at Gunpoint in Kashmir
Name of the Journal: Labour File
Volume & Issue: ,
Year of Publication: 2004
Month of Publication: May - June
Page numbers in Printed version: Labour File, Vol.2-No.3, Labour and Employment in Situations of Conflict (Cover Story - Labour at Gunpoint in Kashmir - pp 5-16)
Weblink : https://www.labourfile.com:443/section-detail.php?aid=440

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