No Shikaras On The Dal Lake This Season

The tourism sector has collapsed in Kashmir following curfew and clampdown. Since the night of August 1, when security agencies, citing ‘a red alert’, descended on hotels and asked tourists and travelers to leave, tourism and allied industries in the Valley — taxis, shikaras on Dal Lake, hotels, restaurants and shops — have collapsed.

This August has been starkly different from that of the previous years when, despite tensions and political turmoil, the Dal Lake would be teeming with shikaras and small boats, from which traders sell handmade souvenirs, saffron sachets, and miscellaneous locally made knick-knack. But after the scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, the evening lights on the Dal Lake have dimmed and the shikaras no longer ferry tourists or traders. Except for a few vegetable vendors and kebab sellers whom BusinessLine met during a visit to the Valley last week, no one bothers to venture out much. Ali, who sells curios from his bicycle, said “There has been no sale for the past one month. I just came to see if things have changed.