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| Charas cultivation in Kashmir on increase | | | Prior to the rise of militancy in the Kashmir valley in 1989 charas cultivation used to be treated as the top rumenerative exercise.Once the people in the villages found that charas(bhung) grown on one kanal of land fetched 10 times more returns than from cultivation of paddy or wheat they brought more area under charas cultivation..Hence despite occasional operation destruction cultivators evinced keen interest in growing charas. On some occasions between 1991 and 1996 leaders of militant outfits and some extremists used to give a call against cultivation of charas.On a number of occasions cultivators of charas received threats from these extremists.The result was the area and the production of charas declined.However,during the last 10 years more and more agricultural land and some orchards have come under charas cultivation in various areas of the valley,especially in the districts of Anantnag,Pulwama,Kulgam and Shopian.In certain areas
cultivators,as had been the practice between 1980 and 1991) have been using irrigated fields for charas cultivation.This was being done to ensure increased production.Reports with the police say that when groups of militants needed money they would approach the charas cultivators and assured them that they would be allowed to grow the narcotics provided they emptied their purse.The cultivators agreed because even after paying huge sums of money to the militant groups they would be able to mint money.At a later stage Government agencies stepped in and they too started extracting money from the Charas cultivators.One report with the police authorities is that some officials had made it a business by charging Rs.1,000 per kanal of charas in return of their support for a hassle free harvesting.Of late the Government has decided to come down heavily on the charas cultivators.Reports said that a decision had been taken to book charas cultivators under the
Public Safety Act.These strong measures were being initiated after the Government received reports that part of the money earned from charas cultivation and smuggling has been and is being used for sustaining militancy and violence in the Kashmir valley.Another report said that part of the money earned from the smuggling of charas and from the export of handicrafts,including carpets,was and is being used for purchasing weapons and explosives for the militants.Not only this militants have been able to send money to their parents so that they were not starved or inconvenienced.It should be one of the reasons for militants,operating in Kashmir,to adopt the role of passive spectators
against charas cultivation when they had launched a violent campaign against cinema threatres,against liquor trade and against any form of entertainment between 1988 and 1996.The result of this campaign is that most of the cinema halls stand shut in the Kashmir valley and the number of liquor vends can be counted on one's finger tips.Things have changed and despite militant ban on liquor trade consumption of IMFL(Indian made foreign liquor) in the Kashmir valley has hardly registered any mar ked decline.In fact during the last five years the consumption has increased and people get it from centres it is available.Some buy liquor from the defence canteens.This way camapign against any evil or any practices depends on the whims and convenience of militants.Whatever may have been the factors responsible for the increase in area under charas cultivation the Government has asked the police,the excise and the crime agencies to launch joint operations for
destroying the charas crops.There would have been some success in the operations but the Government has not been providing funds and tools that were required for detroying charas crops on sprawling fields.Hence the operation destruction has been covering not more than 20 per cent of the total area under charas.(eom)
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