Suspension of intra-Kashmir trade|J&K business chambers, LoC traders ask Centre to review decision

A day after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs ordered suspension of cross-LoC trade with Pakistan via Jammu and Kashmir, the business chambers of Kashmir and Jammu Friday asked the government of India to review its decision in view of the huge losses that the state’s business community would suffer due to the “undesirable move”.

The MHA Thursday ordered suspension of cross-Line of Controltrade via Salamabad and Chakan-da-Bagh in Jammu and Kashmir following reportsof alleged misuse of the trade routes by Pakistan-based elements for illegalinflow of narcotics, weapons and currency, according to officials.

   

“This (cross-LoC trade) was not only about business, it wasa confidence building measure (CBM) between India and Pakistan to facilitatepeace in Kashmir. Suspending it is not a right decision. We certainly don’tsupport inflow of narcotics or weapons, but there has to be a mechanism whichwill check such an inflow. Banning the trade all together is not in theinterest of the people, particularly the state’s business community,” saidpresident of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Sheikh Ashiq.

He said the concerned authorities had already suspended thistrade via Salamabad in north Kashmir from March 8 on the pretext of carryingout repairs of a bridge, but “now it is clear that they wanted to suspend thistrade all at once”.

“We impress upon the government of India to put in place afoolproof security mechanism for all the necessary checks and resume the tradeat the earliest,” he said.

In a communication addressed to the department of J&Kaffairs, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Jammu Chamber of Commerce andIndustries president Rakesh Gupta has requested for resumption of the cross-LoCtrade at the earliest and “fixing of responsibility for the administrativelapses resulting in breach of security and consequent suspension of the trade”.

“We fully agree that security should be the prime concernnot only of the government but every Indian citizen and that too in the trouble-tornstate of J&K. We would like to bring to your kind notice that stopping theLoC trade abruptly without intimating the LoC traders poses a huge risk offinancial loss to the traders,” the communication reads. “We once again assureof cooperating fully, as always, but at the same time request your goodself tofix responsibility for these administrative lapses resulting in breach ofsecurity as mentioned in your communication. Being a responsible organisation,we request for a high-level enquiry into the lapses and necessary stringentactions and measures to be taken so that the LoC trade could resume at theearliest”.

Hilal Turki, chairman of cross-LoC traders’ association,Chakoti, said the government of India must put in place security mechanisms sothat the entire trade is “not defamed for the fault of few black-sheep”.

“We are in favour of having in place a strict securitymechanism, which, ideally, should have been done much earlier. Suspending thetrade all of a sudden is not a good sign. There is a huge investment of traderswhich needs to be secured,” Turki said.

President, Poonch cross-LoC traders’ association, PawanAnand, said the suspension of LoC trade has “jeopardised livelihood of morethan 2000 people involved with this trade”.

“We are optimistic that the government would put in placefoolproof security mechanism at the earliest so that the trade is resumedsoon,” he said.

Pertinently, trading of 21 items like red chili, mangoes,herbs and dry fruits will be hit following the indefinite suspension of the LoCtrade, officials said Friday.

Around 500 traders, who were directly involved in thetrading, will also be affected after the suspension of the business, which hastouched Rs 6,900 crore since its inception in 2008.

The 21 items listed for the cross-LoC trade include bananas,embroidery items, tamarind, red chili and cumin for exports, while importsmainly include almonds, dry dates, dry fruits, herbs, mangoes and pistachio.

Meanwhile, senior leaders from the cross-LoC traders’association Friday visited the Press Enclave here to express their resentmentagainst the sudden suspension of the LoC trade by the government of India.

“This trade has been suspended from last 40 days and we wereexpecting its resumption, but the fresh order has come as a shocker to us. Wehave huge market liabilities and suspension of the trade in such a scenario hashit us hard,” said Turkey, who was part of the leaders’ delegation.

“We are all for stricter regulatory mechanism in thecross-LoC trade because we don’t want anyone to look at us with suspicion. Butthe abrupt suspension of the trade will affect us badly,” he said.

The leaders said ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, theywere expecting brisk trade of fruits and other Ramadan-related goods “but thisorder has put us in a difficult position”.

“There are around 700 goods-laden trucks which are stuck onboth sides of the LoC. At least we should have been given some time to clearthis trade,” said Iqbal Lone, general secretary of the association.

“Snapping the trade at this juncture will create hugeproblems for us,” he said, adding that there are thousands of people who areassociated with the trade as labourers and drivers and suspension of the tradewill affect their families as well.

The aggrieved traders urged the MHA and J&K Governor toreconsider the trade suspension order.

The cross-LoC trade was strated in 2008 and till 2017 fiscalstood at over Rs 4,400 crore at the Uri trading centre, while the figure forthe same period at Poonch stood at Rs 2,542 crore.

Initially, 646 businessmen from Jammu and Kashmir hadregistered for trading in the two crossing points, but the number now stands ataround 280, who are actually involved in conducting the business.

When the cross LoC trade started, initially the business wasfor two days but from October 15, 2011, trading days were extended to four.

AUQIB SALAM

(With PTI inputs)

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