The impact of 110 days-long strike in Kashmir has begun to show damages happening to the economy of the State, particularly Kashmir valley. People are now beginning to make estimates of the losses they have been forced to suffer as a result of repeated calls for strikes by the separatist leadership. It is not only the daily wager, the street seller, the factory worker, the taxi driver or the petty shopkeeper who has borne the impact of more than three months long strike on his economy and that of the business community. In a state of surcharged emotions, some separatist leaders give a call for general strike allowing no caveats. The call may be justified according to those who give it loud and clear but the fact is that it lost its impact when no exemptions were made to the call. For example emergency medical services and health problems, essential movement amidst sensitive areas with formal permission, movement of ambulances, closing down the schools and essential dispensaries etc are among essential services and these should have been kept outside the ambit of strike. But that was not done and as a result many casualties had to be suffered by the public as well as the security forces.
We have in our hands reports of adverse impact of three and a half month long strike in the Valley on nearly 150 small scale industries of which the Lassipora complex is the main hub for the valley industrial activities. A number of small scale industries exist in this complex that have come to grinding halt because of closing down of production and marketing owing to strict imposition of the strike. Small scale industrialists have taken loans from the bank and with the situation that has emerged in Kashmir valley, they had to suspend their operations. But they have to pay the interest on bank loans. How can they meet this heavy loss in view of closure of transport service?
The important question that will soon come up for the State Government to decide is that of paying compensation to the affected traders and others. It is going to be a big problem. After all the strike syndrome will fade away in few weeks more but the question that will baffle the Government will be of compensation money to the victims of violence.
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