Kashmiri Apple Farmers Fear Losing Livelihoods to New Rail Lines

Apple farming is the largest employment generator in Indian-administered Kashmir, providing livelihoods for millions. But new rail lines threaten to acquire orchards.

Kashmiris fear the land grabs will deprive them of livelihoods, with inadequate compensation, violating laws on fair rehabilitation.

They say government acted unilaterally, sending survey teams with police to earmark land, not consulting farmers.

Experts warn projects seen as innocuous before 2019 now face more suspicion after Kashmir's status change.

Farmers feel helpless to resist. "We will anyway die of starvation if they take our land, so it is better to die while fighting for our land.”