SRINAGAR: Traders, civil society activists and political observers have brushed aside India’s hollow claims of economic growth and development in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir as mere propaganda aimed at hoodwinking international community.
According to Kashmir Media Service, India, they said, has been actively releasing reports and orchestrating media campaigns to create an illusion of peace and development in the occupied territory. The aim of peddling false narratives of progress while depriving Kashmiris of their fundamental rights is to justify India’s illegal occupation, they argued.
However, local business owners and activists insist that these claims are far from reality. On condition of anonymity, a trader from Srinagar told a media outlet that “The ground situation tells a different story. Shops are shutting down, businesses are struggling, and unemployment is at an all-time high. There is no real progress—only repression.”
Civil society activists said the Indian government is misleading the international community by painting a rosy picture of economic growth in the territory. “The so-called development narrative is just another tool of deception. India wants to normalize its occupation by showcasing false progress, but the reality remains grim,” said a rights activist.
The activists also pointed to a broader strategy to alter the territory’s demographic composition. “The doors are being opened to Indian investors, while Kashmiri businesses suffer due to economic strangulation and lack of access to resources,” a businessman remarked.
Political analysts argue that India’s revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, has set IIOJK back in every aspect of life.
Observers asked how peace and progress can be achieved in a territory that has been turned into the world’s most militarized zone.
