Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 22: As current unrest entered 76th day in Kashmir, the downtrodden labourers like stone-carvers are facing immense hardships owing to lack of alternate source of income which is pushing them to starvation.
From Sempora to Pantha Chowk along Srinagar-Jammu National Highway here, there are about 250 decrepit tin sheds where stone-carvers work from dawn to dusk to feed their families but from past 76 days the tin shacks are deserted which has dried the pockets of stone carvers.
Imtiyaz Ahmad, 25, lamented that the unrest is badly denting the already declining art of stone-carving as prolonged restrictions and shutdown has affected the customer flow. “Whatever money people have they are using it to buy essential and necessary commodities. How can I expect them to buy my stones. I think the present unrest is going to put final nail in the coffin of this business. We might have braved 2010 unrest and 2014 devastating flood but I have no hopes this time,” he said.
He said he was indebted and was not able to pay his workers. “To start my business I have taken a loan of about two lakhs from bank which has plunged me into a web of debt. I have already suffered a loss of about seventy thousand rupees in these two months. Plus I also have to arrange the installments which are a great worry for me,” he said.
Another stone-carver, Hilal, who works with Imtiyaz said that he is the only bread earner of my family. “I used to earn Rs 400-450 per day but from last two months I haven’t earned a penny. All my reserve cash has exhausted. I don’t know what to do now,” he added.
The stone-carvers said that they hope for a solution of the ongoing crisis so that the normal activities are re-started again. “Let’s hope the issues are resolved so that people once again resume their activities,” they added.
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