144,500 Jobs Affected As Tourism Takes A Hit In Kashmir

This spring if tourists do not arrive in Kashmir in large numbers, Ghulam Jeelani, 52 could well lose his job. The manager of a hotel in Srinagar’s tourist hub, Boulevard Road bordering the Dal Lake, has been warned by his employer. Tourist arrivals in Kashmir fell after the Centre abolished its semi-autonomous status on August 5, 2019, and followed this with a communication clampdown in anticipation of unrest. While security restrictions were relaxed amid heavy troop deployment, the internet shutdown has yet to be lifted after nearly six months.

Following a Supreme Court order on January 10, 2019, the government announced it would restore 2G mobile data on post-paid mobile phones in all districts in Kashmir. But access was only allowed to a whitelist of websites as per the order, leaving internet curbs largely unchanged. Just the day before August 5, 2019, Jeelani’s hotel–he did not wish it to be named–was almost fully booked. Of its 88 rooms, 63 were reserved. The day after the abrogation announcement, the bookings fell to three and have not risen beyond that number to date. Some days it does not have a single guest, Jeelani said.