Two decades of insurgency have deeply tainted the societal and monetary lives of Kashmiri’s. With the ongoing commotion in the valley the unstable economy has left people with limited employment opportunities. Corruption has led to the failure of all imperative welfare programmes like health, education and employment. Only government jobs have remained the main source of employment for the educated youth Due to decline of tourism industry and handicraft business, private sector in valley has utterly withered away thus leaving businessmen of the valley in colossal quandary. The low earning capabilities of Kashmiri’s in these circumstances together with the growing demand of jobs have forced thousands of Kashmiri’s to leave their so called paradise and travel to other parts of the country.
In the beginning it was Delhi that most of the Kashmiri’s preferred as their subsequent asylum. But due to atrocities carried out by the Delhi police by treating Kashmiri’s as abettors inculcated into the minds of Kashmiri’s a profound sense of insecurity and vulnerability. Mostly Kashmiri Muslims were seen with the suspicious eye by the police and the locals. But despite all this Kashmiri’s in recent have demonstrated their caliber in almost every turf. Earlier Kashmiri’s were thought to be indolent, docile, content, people with no capability of taking risks. But now whole scenario has changed and Kashmiri populace has made their marks in various fields like business, education, science. Recent saying is that India will hound its next decade intellectuals from Kashmir. Kashmiri’s recently have started moving to southern states of India as well where they are experiencing a very different response than what most of Kashmiri’s experienced in Northern states of India. One of such states where Kashmiri’s have recently started inflowing is Andhra Pradesh. In the city of Hyderabad loads of Kashmiri’s have arrived. Most of these Kashmiri’s have either came for business purposes, educational purposes or to settle here by taking several professions in different sectors.
Students from Kashmir have secured numerous seats in reputed institutions from last four years. In university of Hyderabad, which is a central government institution declared by University Grants Commission (UGC) as a “university with potential for excellence” about ten students have secured admissions only in last two years.
“It is almost 3000 kilometers that we have traveled all the way from Kashmir only to acquire some cultural capital and to get reformed” says Mushtaq Dar, a student of M.Phil from political science.
Hyderabad, the city of Nawabs has to a large extent satisfied the dream of businessmen from Kashmir. Most of the businessmen arrive here in the months of December and January. In January every year all India industrial exhibition is held in Nampally, Hyderabad. Most of the businessmen taking part in the exhibition are from Srinagar. Some of businessmen are coming here from last one decade or two decades to pitch their stalls. Nampally exhibition till now has gratified almost every business community member from Kashmir.
Omar, artificial jewelry shop owner from Kashmir remarks “we are part of this exhibition from last 12 years; we have our customers here who have became like family members for us”.
Hyderabad, now one of the most important cities of India has proved to be an employment destination for some section of the Kashmiri’s. Most are recruited in bank sector and IT sectors. Kashmiri’s here have made Hyderabadi Biryani as their intimate friend.
