Kashmir’s Apple Harvest Rotting: NH-44 Blockade and Railway Bottlenecks Push Valley to the Brink

Kashmir Apple Crisis Deepens: NH-44 Blockade and Rail Bottlenecks Leave Thousands of Tones Rotting

NH-44 Blockade Turns Harvest into Havoc: 5,000 Trucks Stranded Across the Valley By: Javid Amin | 16 September 2025 When Apples Turn Bitter Every autumn, Kashmir’s landscape transforms into a breathtaking canvas. Rolling orchards in Shopian, Kulgam, Baramulla, and Pulwama burst with red and golden apples. For centuries, this harvest has symbolized not just prosperity but also identity—the Valley’s proud offering to India and the world. Apples from Kashmir are not just fruit; they are heritage, livelihood, and a lifeline for over 3 lakh families. But in 2025, the Valley’s…

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Why We Add One Rupee to Gift Money: A Kashmiri Cultural Insight into Continuity, Blessing, and Identity

Why We Add One Rupee to Gift Money: A Kashmiri Cultural Insight into Continuity, Blessing, and Identity

From Wartav to Gulmuteeh: The Symbolism Behind ₹501 and ₹1001 in Kashmiri Gifts By: Javid Amin | 16 September 2025 A Coin, A Culture, A Continuum In the valleys of Kashmir, where every ritual is steeped in poetry and every gesture carries generations of meaning, the tradition of adding one rupee to gift money is more than a custom—it’s a cultural philosophy. Whether tucked inside a shagun lifafa at a wedding, handed over during Eid, or offered at a nikkah ceremony, the extra rupee transforms a financial gift into a…

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Stranded Trucks, Rotten Harvests, and Political Silence: Kashmir’s Fruit Crisis Demands Urgent Reform

Enough Is Enough: Kashmir’s Fruit Industry Bleeds While Leaders Trade Blame

Enough Is Enough: Kashmir’s Fruit Industry Bleeds While Leaders Trade Blame By: Javid Amin | 15 September 2025 A Valley in Distress The picturesque valleys of Kashmir, known for their lush orchards and vibrant mandis, are now echoing with frustration and despair. The NH-44 blockade, triggered by relentless rains and landslides, has paralyzed the movement of fruit-laden trucks, leaving apple growers, traders, and transporters in economic freefall. While the crisis deepens, political leaders are locked in a jurisdictional blame game, and the people—especially those who depend on horticulture—are left stranded.…

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Fuel Panic Grips Kashmir Amid NH-44 Disruption: Officials Urge Calm

Fuel Panic Grips Kashmir Amid NH-44 Disruption: Officials Urge Calm

By: Javid Amin | 15 September 2025 As the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) remains choked by landslides and bad weather, Kashmir is witnessing a fresh wave of anxiety: panic buying of fuel. By Monday afternoon, petrol pumps across Srinagar—including Karan Nagar, Hyderpora, and Bemina—saw long serpentine queues, with motorists scrambling to top up tanks. Similar scenes were reported from Anantnag, Pulwama, Baramulla, and Kupwara, where rumors of petrol running out spread rapidly on social media. “No Shortage,” Say Officials Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg sought to allay fears: “There is no…

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‘Mute Spectator to a Crisis’: Sajad Lone Slams Govt Over Kashmir’s Fruit Industry Breakdown

'Mute Spectator to a Crisis': Sajad Lone Slams Govt Over Kashmir’s Fruit Industry Breakdown

Sajad Lone Accuses Govt of Inaction as Fruit Industry Suffers By: Javid Amin | 15 September 2025 Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone has unleashed sharp criticism against the Jammu and Kashmir administration, calling its handling of the Valley’s ongoing fruit industry crisis a case of “criminal inaction.” The breakdown, triggered by the prolonged blockade of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), has stranded thousands of apple-laden trucks for more than two weeks, resulting in massive losses and triggering protests across the Valley’s fruit belt. Lone’s Attack on Govt Inaction Taking…

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J&K Government Seeks Public Suggestions to Address Academic Loss Amid School Closures

J&K Government Seeks Public Suggestions to Address Academic Loss Amid School Closures

Academic Recovery in Jammu & Kashmir: Navigating Loss, Restoring Hope By: Javid Amin| 14 September 2025 Disruptions to education have far-reaching, long-term impacts—on individuals, communities, and society at large. In Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), multiple crises this year—armed conflict described as “war-like situation,” followed by devastating floods—have significantly disrupted schooling. More than 40 schools have been damaged or destroyed. Many students have missed extended classroom time. Recognizing the severity of this academic loss, the J&K government has taken a crucial step: inviting suggestions from parents, educators, students, and civil society…

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Kashmir in Grip of Crisis: Highway Collapse Triggers Mutton Shortage, Apple Losses, and Inflation Chaos

Kashmir in Grip of Crisis: Highway Collapse Triggers Mutton Shortage, Apple Losses, and Inflation Chaos

Kashmir Crisis: NH-44 Blockage Triggers Mutton Shortage, Apple Losses & Inflation By: Javid Amin| 14 September 2025 Kashmir is reeling under a crisis unlike any in recent memory. The closure of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44)—the region’s vital artery—has spiraled into a chain reaction of economic paralysis, cultural disruption, and social despair. What began as a natural calamity of landslides and torrential rain has now snowballed into a mutton shortage that has postponed over 150 weddings, fruit rotting in stranded trucks worth more than ₹400 crore, and inflation surging to…

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AAP Rallies Behind J&K MLA Mehraj Malik, Forms Legal Team to Challenge PSA Detention

AAP Rallies Behind J&K MLA Mehraj Malik, Forms Legal Team to Challenge PSA Detention

AAP Comes To The Rescue Of Mehraj Malik Its Lone Jammu Kashmir Legislator By: Javid Amin| 14 September 2025 A Political Storm in Jammu & Kashmir The political landscape of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) has once again been shaken by the controversial use of the Public Safety Act (PSA), a law that has often come under scrutiny from rights activists and political observers. This time, the storm surrounds Mehraj Malik, a sitting Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and president of the Jammu & Kashmir unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Malik’s…

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Srinagar–Jammu National Highway Partially Open, Apple Cargo Train Brings Relief to Kashmir Growers

Srinagar–Jammu National Highway Partially Open, Apple Cargo Train Brings Relief to Kashmir Growers

Srinagar–Jammu Highway Disruptions and the Apple Cargo Train: A Lifeline for Kashmir’s Economy By: Javid Amin | 14 September 2025 The Highway That Holds Kashmir Together The Srinagar–Jammu National Highway (NH-44) is more than a stretch of asphalt and tar—it is Kashmir’s lifeline. It snakes through treacherous mountains, unstable slopes, and weather-beaten passes, connecting the Valley to the rest of India. Every sack of rice, every cylinder of cooking gas, every tourist vehicle, and every truckload of apples depends on this single artery. Unlike most other states, Jammu and Kashmir…

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GoI Launches Multi-Pronged Campaign to Revive Kashmir Tourism After April Tragedy

GoI Launches Multi-Pronged Campaign to Revive Kashmir Tourism After April Tragedy

Tourism Revival Strategy Includes Security Upgrades, Discounted Packages, and Cultural Outreach By: Javid Amin | 13 September 2025 A Valley in Shock, A Nation Responds On April 22, 2025, Pahalgam—a serene town known for its meadows and the starting point of the Amarnath Yatra—was struck by tragedy. A terror attack claimed the lives of 26 civilians, sending ripples of grief across the Valley and shaking the foundations of its most vital lifeline: tourism. For weeks after, hotels sat half-empty, shikaras glided on Dal Lake without passengers, and local guides waited…

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