Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir, Malik Haroon carefully inspects his orchard land in Dafferpora village on a frosty winter morning. With hundreds of almond trees surrounding him, he checks for signs of fungal disease and smiles with relief. His 1.25 acres of land yield a bountiful harvest of apples, pears, plums, and almonds every year, providing him with an average annual income of $11,000.
However, the Indian government’s plan to construct an engineering college on his land in Pulwama threatens to strip him and thousands of other farmers in Kashmir of their livelihoods. Since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, which granted special status to the region, the government has announced numerous infrastructure projects aimed at boosting the region’s economy and connectivity with the rest of India.
Critics and residents fear that these projects are designed to tighten New Delhi’s control over the region, change its demographic composition, and enhance access to sensitive border areas with China and Pakistan. One such project is the establishment of a National Institute of Technology (NIT), which will require the acquisition of prime agricultural and horticultural land that villagers rely on for their livelihoods.
In addition to the NIT, the government plans to add five new railway lines crisscrossing the valley, which will impact flourishing apple orchards and plantations essential to the region. Villagers like Ghulam Muhammad Tantray fear losing their land and livelihoods to these projects, which they say were implemented without their consent or proper compensation.
The government’s infrastructure projects in Indian-administered Kashmir serve both civilian and military objectives, with some aimed at strengthening India’s military posture in sensitive border areas. While these projects may be intended to bolster national security interests, locals argue that they could end up undermining them, as they threaten their way of life and economic stability.