Read on Twitter
I am creating this thread where I will be sharing stories of Kashmirs Entrepreneurs, what they have gone through since August 5, Many of them are young digital entrepreneurs for whom Internet is Bread and Butter. Keep adding if you come across some stories on twitter or SM
@asmitabee writes about Kashmir. Dystopia vs Development
She speaks to @Azmat_Ali_Mir @qazizaid89 of @FreePressK and Me https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/dystopia-vs-development-the-kashmir-paradox-11571377960811.html
She speaks to @Azmat_Ali_Mir @qazizaid89 of @FreePressK and Me https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/dystopia-vs-development-the-kashmir-paradox-11571377960811.html
@moazum_m speaks to young entrepreneurs in Kashmir https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/states/story/20191230-j-k-a-crippled-economy-1629696-2019-12-23
The embargo on social media has come as a blow for the female entrepreneurs who were battling stereotypes in this volatile region, and pursuing their dreams to be entrepreneurs. https://www.news18.com/news/india/how-internet-shutdown-killed-the-dreams-of-kashmirs-young-female-entrepreneurs-even-before-it-began-2475465.html
my own office keys are still lying with my friend in Kashmir. I havent been to office since Aug 4. https://twitter.com/shabirbilal14/status/1228369963179794439?s=20
Here is @peerashiq writing for The Hindu https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/news/national/in-a-land-without-internet-how-the-communication-blackout-is-forcing-young-entrepreneurs-out-of-kashmir-valley/article30219792.ece/amp/
Since August, however, Iqras business has ground to a halt and she hasn’t received a single order, Iqra said. Her team of four workers is thus out of work. https://www.google.com/amp/s/theprint.in/india/entrepreneurs-to-jobless-in-3-months-no-internet-kills-kashmirs-next-gen-businesses/330437/%3famp
"The situation arising post-August has ruined my business & I am not even able to pay electricity bills for my office. I havent paid my office rent for this period and interest rates are mounting,”lamented Tufail Shah, who had started his venture in '15 https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.deccanherald.com/amp/national/north-and-central/internet-gag-dents-entrepreneurs-business-in-kashmir-790983.html
Adding my own story here as well, after this post, the amount of trolling I went through was crazy. I had to deactivate my account, keep it in private mode for a month https://twitter.com/ShayanNabi/status/1182277931667603457?s=19
“Internet to these young women was like air and water to you and me,” says Ashiq. “It is a lost opportunity. We are disempowering women — not empowering them.” https://www.google.com/amp/s/thewire.in/women/kashmir-internet-social-media-ban/amp/
"Our handicraft sector, that is solely based on the internet, is at a standstill. As a result, 50,000 artisans are jobless,” Ashiq said, adding that the export of its heritage industry handicrafts had declined by 62%. https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/kashmir-internet-shutdown-takes-toll-economy
“Around 1 lakh people who extract sand and around 50,000 tippers, that ferry this sand, will be directly affected now. So around 1.5 lakh people will go jobless in one blow. These people are mostly illiterates so how will they feed their families?” https://kashmirlife.net/sand-storm-issue-45-vol-11-223571/
Here is @_Faysal's ordeal https://twitter.com/_Faysal/status/1228592780190113792?s=19
Nahvi estimated Kashmir Box has lost one crore rupees in the past 3 months, said, “In past 7 seven years, Flipkart became a billion-$ company.But we in Kashmir are still struggling to survive even after 8 years as the situation has never been stable here.” https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/internet-blockade-kashmir-370_in_5dd4120ee4b028849eab18c9
A Kashmir Journalist was forced to do manual Labour https://twitter.com/Meherr_/status/1229251485806026752?s=19
