Data | One year since Article 370 revocation: economy crippled, more locals take up militancy, and more

File photo of CRPF personnel standing guard at a market during the shutdown in Srinagar, in the aftermath of Article 370 abrogation. (Source: Nissar Ahmad)

Two spells of lockdown — the first after Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its statehood and its special constitutional status and the second related to COVID-19 — have left the erstwhile State in disarray.

With the tourism industry crippled and 4G Internet still not restored, J&K’s economy has suffered. While terrorism considerably dipped, cross-border infiltrations have gone up and more locals are being recruited for terrorist activities.

Internet snapped

The Internet shutdown in the J&K U.T. between August 4, 2019 and March 4, 2020 was the longest in any democracy. Even after the shutdown ended, only 2G and broadband Internet were restored.

J&K chart 1

Chart appears incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

Tourism hit

Tourism, which forms 8-10% of J&K’s GDP, was in a shambles after the August 5, 2019 lockdown. Less than 50,000 tourists visited the U.T. between August and December 2019.

J&K chart 3 

Economy shock

In the 120 days after August 5, 2019, the 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley suffered a loss of ₹17,878.18 cr. according to the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Here is how the figure was arrived at:

J&K chart 2 

State of joblessness

The CMIE data show that the unemployment rate (UR) breached the 20% mark in August 2019 after staying below the figure for 30 months.

J&K chart 4

Also read: No new government jobs in J&K a year after Article 370 move

Lockdown impact

Terrorism-related deaths hit a low in 2012 after continuously declining from 2001. However, terrorism returned to the Valley since, peaking in 2018.

J&K chart 5

Fatalities drop

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), the lockdown and increase in Army presence led to a decrease in terrorism-related deaths. Yet the fatalities post-lockdown were higher compared to the low levels seen in 2012.

J&K chart 6

Local threat

Despite the decrease in terrorism-related deaths, the number of local recruits increased. In 2020, until March, 87.5% of the militants killed were locals according to SATP.

J&K chart 7 

Also, according to data furnished in Parliament, infiltration attempts across the border increased significantly.

J&K chart 8

Also read: Are people in J&K citizens or subjects?

Source: Jammu and Kashmir: The Impact of Lockdowns on Human Rights, internshutdowns.in