For decades, the Kashmir conflict has been the center of a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan. The region, which is located in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, has been the subject of multiple wars and armed conflict between the two nations. While both sides claim control over the territory, the people of Kashmir have borne the brunt of the violence and chaos that has ensued. This article explores the impact of India’s ongoing siege of Kashmir and argues that it is a self-defeating strategy that only exacerbates the conflict and deepens the suffering of the Kashmiri people.
For over seven decades, the people of Kashmir have been subjected to a military occupation by India that has denied them of their human and political rights. The oppression imposed by India over the region, however, extends beyond the physical as it also includes economic exploitation and impoverishment. India has systematically stripped away the region’s natural resources, industries, and markets, and imposed an economic blockade that has crippled the region’s economy and livelihoods. This economic strangulation of Kashmir is a form of collective punishment that violates international law and human rights norms, and is counterproductive to India’s own interests as it incites resentment and resistance among Kashmiris, and undermines prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The economic blockade of Kashmir dates back to August 2019, when India unilaterally abrogated Article 370 of its constitution, which granted the region a degree of autonomy, including the right to make its own economic decisions. The move was accompanied by a massive deployment of troops, a curfew, and a communications blockade that effectively cut off the region from the rest of the world. This blockade has had an incredibly devastating impact on the economy of Kashmir, with the region suffering an estimated loss of $5.3 billion in the first year of the blockade, according to a report by the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The tourism industry, which accounted for 8% of the region’s economy and employed thousands of people, was entirely wiped out.
Furthermore, the agriculture sector, which is the mainstay of the rural economy, suffered significant losses due to restrictions on transportation and marketing. For instance, the apple industry, which produces about 75% of India’s apples and earns about $2 billion annually, was severely affected by India’s ban on exports to other states. India has also taken over control of the region’s natural resources and industries, violating its own laws and international agreements. For example, it amended its laws to allow outsiders to buy land in Kashmir, which was previously reserved for permanent residents. This threatens to change the demography and identity of the region, as well as dispossess Kashmiris of their ancestral lands. India has also granted mining leases to non-local companies, depriving local miners of their livelihoods and exposing the region’s environment to degradation.
India has further restricted the economic activity and mobility of Kashmiris by imposing barriers on trade and travel across the Line of Control (LoC), which divides Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir. LoC trade, which was launched in 2008 as a confidence-building measure, provided a lifeline for thousands of traders and families on both sides. It also fostered cultural and social ties among Kashmiris divided by the LoC. However, India suspended trade in 2019, alleging that it was being used for smuggling and terrorism. Similarly, India has reduced the frequency and scope of cross-LoC bus services, which allowed Kashmiris to visit their relatives and friends on the other side.
India’s economic measures are part of its broader strategy to suppress the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination, which has been ongoing since 1947 when India and Pakistan were partitioned by Britain. The region was divided between the two countries, but its final status was left unresolved. The UN Security Council has passed several resolutions calling for a plebiscite to allow Kashmiris to decide their own fate, but India has refused to implement them. Instead, India has tried to crush the Kashmiri resistance by force, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, disappearances, torture cases, and human rights violations. India has also denied any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan or the Kashmiri leadership, insisting that Kashmir is an internal matter.
This approach has failed to bring peace or stability to the region. Instead, it has resulted in a humanitarian crisis and a security risk for South Asia and beyond. India’s economic blockade of Kashmir is not only unjust and inhumane; it is also unsustainable and self-defeating. It will only deepen the alienation and anger of Kashmiris, who have shown remarkable resilience and courage in the face of oppression. India should end its economic siege of Kashmir and respect its rights and aspirations.
