Srinagar: Following the Pahalgam attack in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, authorities have closed Yusmarg, a popular tourist destination in Budgam district, for public traffic under the pretext of so-called security measures, similar to other tourist spots in the region.
According to Beyond the Time News, the closure of Yusmarg has deprived locals linked to the tourism sector of their only source of livelihood, pushing many families towards starvation.
Local residents say prolonged restrictions have devastated the incomes of families dependent on tourism, while the occupying authorities continue to show complete indifference to their plight.
They added that hotels in Yusmarg remain locked and all tourism-related activities have come to a halt, severely affecting hotel owners, tourist guides, porters, drivers, shopkeepers, and daily wage labourers.
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Tourism is the main source of livelihood for most families in the area. A local said the situation is so desperate that people are talking about setting themselves on fire.
He said, “We understand security, but what we don’t understand is why a peaceful place like Yusmarg is being closed indefinitely without any explanation.”
Another local said, “We are being pushed to the brink of starvation. Our children have been taken out of schools and our hotels are closed. The economy of Yusmarg is entirely based on tourism with limited employment opportunities.”
Local residents said the prolonged closure is putting people under financial strain. They said many families are borrowing money for daily expenses while some are delaying treatment. The people said they have made several representations to the district authorities, the tourism department and the complaints cell but have received no response.
Observers say that the continued closure of tourist sites reveals the indifference of the occupying authorities to the economic hardships faced by Kashmiris and undermines the Modi government’s lofty claims of normalcy in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
