Braving restrictions and severe cold weather conditions, hundreds of people, mostly farmers, traders and transporters, held a protest demonstration in Srinagar against the brutal policies of the Indian regime targeting the business sector in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the protest, organized by trader unions and Jammu and Kashmir Apple Farmers Federation, was held at Press Enclave in Srinagar wherein protesters shouted slogans against the occupation regime for devising policies against Kashmiri traders, transporters and farmers.
While addressing the demonstration, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader, who is also head of a trade union, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami expressed serious concern over problems being faced by the common people.
“Kashmir is facing its worst power crisis in the last two decades and is reeling under acute power shortage, with people facing extreme inconvenience due to long and unscheduled power cuts at a time when temperatures in the valley have dipped to sub-zero levels,” he said. Hospitals are bearing the brunt of the crisis and industries as well as other crucial sectors are suffering too, he added.
While addressing the protesters, another trader leader Ghulam Nabi Malik said that apples provide livelihood to thousands of households of Kashmir but apple farmers are in distress.
Mohamad Afzal Parry, another farmer leader, demanded 100% import duty on foreign apples, provision of fertilizers and pesticides at subsidized rates to apple farmers and cold storage facility to apple producing districts.—KMS
