'Says they will forcibly take trucks via Muzaffarabad'

By Reyaz Ahmed, NAK,

Baramulla : The fruit growers in North Kashmir's Baramulla district are up in arms against government and concern security agencies alleging that hundreds of tucks ferrying apples from the valley to outside markets are stopped en-route Jammu by Shiv Sena protestors, alleging apples and other fruits are rotting in trucks and Mandis (Markets) causing huge losses to them.

"If protesters continued to stop trucks we will forcibly take our apple trucks via Srinagar Muzaffarabad road to other markets of South Asia", said President of Baramulla Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, Ghulam Rasool Bhat, adding government must address this issue as early as possible as fruit industry is inflicted due losses with the prevailing situation at Jammu.

They also threatened to stage wide protests and self immolation if the government failed to provide safe passage to the trucks ferrying apples to the out side markets.

"Fruit industry in the Kashmir has already met huge blow due the bad weather conditions at very out set of crop session, now due to strike in Jammu our apples have been left to rot in Mandis and hundreds trucks stopped on Srinagar- Jammu highway," said President Fruit Buyers Association Sopore Haji Farooq Ahmed Malik told News Agency of Kashmir.

He said, "If government could provide security to the Yastris (Hindu Pilgrims), why the government is not making way for safe passage to the trucks carrying apples."

President of Baramulla Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, Ghulam Rasool Bhat said, "Government should provide us alternative route to export out fruit to outside state as Jammu and Srinagar highway has always been trouble for us."

"If BJP and Bajrang Dal and other Hindu extremist continued to stop trucks we will forcibly take our apple trucks via Srinagar Muzaffarabad road to other markets of South Asia. Government must address this issue as early as possible as fruit industry is inflicted due losses with the prevailing situation at Jammu," asserted Bhat.

"Our fruits have already suffered massive damage due to devastating hailstorms and stormy winds that lashed valley and prices of transportation are touching sky it is obviously big loss to us," said Abdul Rashid of another fruit grower.

All panic and brim stone against the government and concern authorities, the fruit gowers and buyers warned that if government failed to address the issue as early as possible they come on roads and stage valley wide protest demonstrations.

"We will come on roads with our children as thousands of families are completely dependent upon fruit industry," said Mohammed Maqbool Jan another fruit dealer.