Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Jan 22: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti today said that the proposed Bijbehara-Pahalgam railway line threatens the fragile ecology of south Kashmir and the livelihood of thousands of farmers.
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The PDP leader made these remarks while speaking to reporters during a protest at Wulurhama village in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag district, one of the villages likely to be affected by the proposed railway alignment. Scores of residents from nearby villages, including Wulurhama, Dirhama, Adlach, Joibal-Veeri, Trail and Hanumanpora, also joined the protest, saying their orchards, paddy fields, and homes fall along the proposed route.
Addressing the gathering, she said the party was protesting peacefully against the plan to lay a railway line through fertile agricultural land. “Today, they want to put a railway line in Wulurhama, which is a very fertile tract of land. The line will pass through areas like Adlash, Trail and Sakras,” she said.
She said the PDP was not opposed to development but would not accept development that destroyed livelihoods. “We are not against development of any kind, but we will not accept development that kicks the stomach of the poor,” she said, urging the government to first talk to and consult local people.
She said the PDP would also approach the Government of India and the Ministry of Railways. “Of course, we will appeal to them. What we are saying is very logical. Kashmir is environmentally and ecologically very fragile,” she said.
She said poor families living in the area owned small parcels of agricultural land and depended mainly on farming and orchards, especially apple cultivation. “Agriculture and horticulture are the backbone of our economy. Many people here earn their living from apples,” she said, adding that unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir had risen sharply after 2019.
She said while the government spoke of connectivity and development, it was simultaneously taking away people’s livelihoods. “On one hand, you give us trains; on the other hand, you snatch away the livelihoods of poor families. We want the government to rethink this,” she said.
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