![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2025\/09\/Apple-Growers-Protest.jpg\")
Srinagar: Fruit mandis across Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir observed a complete shutdown on Monday in protest against the authorities\u2019 failure to ensure the smooth movement of fruit-laden trucks on the Srinagar\u2013Jammu highway.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, emotional scenes were witnessed at Asia\u2019s second-largest Fruit Mandi in Sopore, where orchardists broke down, lamenting that their year\u2019s hard work was rotting in stranded trucks while the administration \u201cwatched silently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing the gathering, President of the Fruit Growers Association, Fayaz Ahmed Malik, accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of betraying the people. \u201cIf the Chief Minister can\u2019t ensure the passage of fruit trucks, he has no right to remain in office. Resign if you can\u2019t do anything,\u201d he said, adding that no MLA had spoken up for the growers.<\/p>\n
The growers alleged that while trucks carrying iron and other commodities were being allowed to move, fruit-laden vehicles were deliberately held back. Malik warned that if the highway is not restored within 48 hours, growers will announce a valley-wide strike that could paralyze economic activity across the territory.<\/p>\n
It is worth mentioning that mandis across the Valley\u2014including Sopore, Handwara, Shopian, Kulgam, and Islamabad\u2014remained shut as part of the two-day protest on September 14 and 15. Hundreds of trucks carrying perishable fruit consignments remain stranded, resulting in \u201cmassive damages and heavy losses\u201d for growers.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, senior APHC leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed deep pain over the plight of the protesting fruit growers and orchardists, terming them the backbone of Kashmir\u2019s economy. \u201cAs fruit-laden trucks rot for days on the highway with no right to passage, the government\u2019s apathy is shameful. Their year\u2019s hard work is being pushed to ruin,\u201d he said. Mirwaiz urged the authorities to immediately ensure unhindered passage of trucks on priority to prevent further losses and mental agony to the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Srinagar: Fruit mandis across Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir observed a complete shutdown on Monday in protest against the authorities\u2019 failure to ensure the smooth movement of fruit-laden trucks on the Srinagar\u2013Jammu highway. According to Kashmir Media Service, emotional scenes were witnessed at Asia\u2019s second-largest Fruit Mandi in Sopore, where orchardists broke down, lamenting …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":183621,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-183620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-occupied-jammu-and-kashmir","tag-top-story"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t