Days Before Bakrid, Business in Srinagar Remains Grim

This Bakrid, business in Srinagar is at a standstill after the govt’s move scrapping Article 370.

This year, Bakrid in Kashmir remains grim, especially for cattle traders.

(Photo: The Quint)

Bakrid in Kashmir, usually, is celebrated with a lot of fervour and excitement. This year, however, the scene remains grim, especially for cattle traders.

After the government’s revocation of Article 370 on 5 August, The Quint visits the Valley to understand the ground reality in Kashmir, days before Bakrid. The video had been shot on 10 August 2019, just five days after curfew was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Cattle traders, for whom this time of the year usually bring in a lot of business, are facing massive losses this year.

“This year, people are not so enthusiastic. They say things are going to worsen, and so they do not want to make any purchases. People who generally buy three to four cattle are buying one this year. Every businessperson will face a loss of Rs 6-10 lakh.”

Mohammad Shafi, Cattle trader

Another cattle trader, Basharat Ahmad, says, “The market is not like how it used to be. We are facing massive losses. Before the curfew, we sold cattle for around Rs 20,000 each, and now we hardly get Rs 15,000.”

From the looks of it, no matter when normalcy returns to the Valley, these people will take time to get back to their day to day lives