Jammu Traders & Train to Kashmir

After the series of strikes and agitation over the ropeway project against the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) by the businessmen and the ponywalas at the base camp in Katra, Jammu. The traders and transporters in Jammu are concerned over the start of train services to Kashmir in January 2025. They are of the opinion that the business will be affected in Jammu as the cost of most of the products that includes the fuels will be reduced due to the direct supply to the Kashmir valley. The reason being that there will be reduction in movement of trucks and oil tankers on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Besides, the various items of public consumption will reach Kashmir directly from various parts of India. The businessmen and the commercial establishments in Jammu fear that it will turn them insignificant within no time as dependence of Kashmir on Jammu in terms of procurements of goods will reduce considerably. Train service to Kashmir will surely facilitate the tourists and the people of Kashmir but Jammu business establishments feel abandoned. This may seem paradoxical to the business fraternity in Jammu but one thing is clear that the common masses will have a sigh of relief. As during the winter months Kashmir faces acute shortage of goods due to the inclement weather and the occurrence of landslides on the Jammu and Kashmir National Highway. Even it becomes difficult to keep the availability of ration continuous due the issues of demand and supply. But traders in Jammu are feeling the heat well before the resumption of the train service. They have started to explore options to keep their businesses thriving. One of the options that is being discussed in the business fraternity of various hues in Jammu is the increase in trade volume and frequency between different district of the Jammu region that includes the various areas of Poonch and Rajouri; where the focus of the Jammu traders was quite less due to the dividends being paid by the trade with Kashmir. Business community of Jammu has gone through this desperation earlier also. The Jammu-Udhampur train project was taken up in 1981.Due sluggishness in the completion of the project. It took time to be realised in 2005 by the then Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh. Again the direct train service to the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi at Katra was witnessed in 2019.This also led to the concern among the business fraternity fearing that it will drain Jammu of its economy as it will dwindle the length of stay of the tourists and pilgrims in Jammu. Now the question arises, has the Jammu become insignificant in terms of business activities and tourist influx after the train services to Udhampur and Katra? The answer is NO. Similarly there was a concern in the business fraternity in Jammu after the neutralisation of Article 370 and 35 A when Durbar Move was ended that it will stop the influx of people from Kashmir during the winter months in Jammu. Thus leading to financial loss to the traders. But did that happen? The answer is again NO. Kashmiris flock to Jammu and can be seen shopping in the bazaars of Jammu. Human psychology is intangible and as such no definite conclusions can be drawn from generalised opinions. Moreover, development and up gradation of infrastructure and superstructure will not cause loss to business but will offer more options of doing business effectively in both Jammu and Kashmir. Train to Kashmir will not detach the Jammu markets from Kashmir but it will give more options to the traders in both regions to explore more innovative ways of doing business. Surely, the business will go on.