Kashmir’s boatmen : Caught on cross edge 

In 2018 Kashmir had received more than Three lakh tourists between August and December including both national and foreign tourists. In July 2019 Kashmir received more than 1.5lakh tourist’s but after August 5 no tourists visited Kashmir because of the uncertainty and situation that erupted after the removal of Article 370.

Amid all chaos and economical losses, it is the poor who suffered the most and continues to struggle the crises. Amongst the all dependents and stakeholders of tourism in Kashmir, the Kashmiri boatmen face the severe brunt. Bashir Ahmad Sultani head of Boatman association says that there are 4000 boatsmen in Dal lake Srinagar who bank on tourist’s arrival for their livelihood. From July to November it is a peak season for boatsmen of dal lake as during these months Kashmir witness tourist influx. But in 2019 no tourists visit Kashmir in these months.

Muhammad Ramzan, a local Boatsman added that they have not earned a single penny in last seven months. Their Houseboats are empty for the last seven months, they say.

People of Dal lake had suffered a lot in the past seven months but there was a Hope for them that tourists will come to Kashmir this year. But this hope doesn’t remain for a long time because on 31 December 2019 after a novel Human infective virus (coronavirus) broke out from china, killed more than 3 thousand people in China so far besides this virus has spread all over the world. On March 11 World Health Organisation (WHO) Officially decleared that Covid19 outbreak is panademic.

The outbreak of Covid-19 like elsewhere in country or world has forced the closure of schools, colleges, business establishments in Kashmir Valley too. For them, it has become very hard to get meat ends of livelihood besides people are fighting to save lives from this deadly disease.