‘Take Back Railway Project’, protests in Bijbehara against livelihood threats
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a protest was held in Liver, Bijbehara, against the proposed Bijbehara-Pahalgam railway project, which protesters say threatens local livelihoods and the region’s fragile ecology.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the demonstration, led by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti, saw participants chanting slogans like “Take back the railway project” and “We will never accept a railway line that jeopardizes the livelihoods and environment of this region.” Iltija, joined by PDP workers, voiced her strong opposition to the railway project, asserting it would disrupt the lives of small landowners and damage orchards and forests critical to the local economy and environment.
Speaking on the occasion, Iltija criticized the occupation regime under Delhi-appointed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for prioritizing development projects at the expense of people’s welfare. “Development that harms livelihoods and the environment is unacceptable. The losses clearly outweigh the gains,” she said, standing amidst the threatened forests and orchards.
She highlighted the plight of small-scale farmers, recounting her conversation with an elderly widow who owns just 1-2 kanals of land. “Horticulture, especially apple and walnut cultivation, is the primary livelihood here. Many have taken loans to sustain their orchards. If their land is taken, how will they survive?” she asked.
Iltija also pointed to the broader unemployment crisis, emphasizing the region’s dependence on agriculture in the absence of a robust private sector. “For these people, horticulture is their lifeline. Taking that away leaves them with no options,” she added.
On environmental grounds, Iltija stressed that the fragile ecology of Jammu and Kashmir cannot sustain such disruptive development projects, warning that similar mismanagement has wreaked havoc in other regions like Uttarakhand.
The protest concluded with calls for balanced development that respects both economic needs and ecological sustainability, as protesters vowed to resist the railway project unless it is redesigned to mitigate its impact.
