J&K Elections 2024: Kashmir Houseboats Faces Existential Crisis, Will the New Govt Help Them?

Oneindia

As the Kashmir Election draws to a close, Kashmiri Houseboat owners, the owners of Shikara have expressed their deep worry for the sinking heritage. What they expect from the Kashmir election outcome, we discussed with them.       #Shikara #KashmirElections #JKElections #NationalConference #NC #Jammu #Kashmir #Indianews #Oneindia #Oneindianews                  ~HT.97~PR.320~

Transcript

00:00The houseboat sank because we were not given permission to repair it.

00:10All the houseboats have been saved.

00:14We cannot imagine how the houseboat owner managed to save it in these 35 years.

00:18Is the houseboat industry facing an existential threat?

00:22Definitely, because every picture is in black and white.

00:26As our number is getting declined, so this is one of the major facts that maybe in coming time we don't have houseboats.

00:35The iconic houseboats in the world-famous Dal Lake are staring at a bleak future.

00:41From 2000 in early 1980s, the numbers have come down to just 750.

00:49When we build a houseboat, it costs 3-4 crore rupees.

00:53At that time, when my father built it, now it must be more than that.

00:57Look at the carving of the houseboat.

01:00A man comes here and builds it by hand.

01:04This is not a machine made.

01:06It costs lakhs of rupees.

01:09And when we spent 3-4 crore rupees on it,

01:14I think my life depends on it.

01:19Because I have to pay for my family, education, children, everything.

01:24But the problem is that when it is damaged,

01:28when it is finished, I won't get anything.

01:31In the end, I come to zero.

01:33That's why today's generation doesn't want to come here.

01:37They are disappointed.

01:39Because in the end, if I cannot repair my houseboat,

01:42then what's the point?

01:44It means that I have wasted my life.

01:53Are Kashmir's beautiful houseboats under threat of extinction,

01:58as many houseboat owners say?

02:01Look, till the 1990s, the number of houseboats was very high.

02:09Whether you talk about Jhelum, Sontkul, Nigan or Dal Lake,

02:15there were thousands of houseboats.

02:18Not just houseboats, but also Dunga Boats, Bahats, Khuchu, Annex Boats.

02:24There were many types of boats.

02:26Different shapes and different names.

02:28But when the situation got worse here,

02:31you know, in 35 years, Kashmir went way back.

02:37There was nothing for people to eat here.

02:41There was that time too.

02:43Because we had a houseboat, we couldn't take it anywhere.

02:47Our business was here.

02:49When tourists came here,

02:51there were many people who had nothing to eat.

02:56Very few.

02:58They tried so hard to save our houseboat.

03:03But there were many houseboats that didn't survive.

03:07Those that were not maintained.

03:09If we had been given a repairing order,

03:13they would have survived.

03:15But the government's policy,

03:17they only come and take photographs.

03:20They take our photographs and say,

03:22we will do this, we will do that.

03:24They told us to insure the houseboats.

03:27We did that too.

03:28We also insured the fire service.

03:32They told us to pay the electricity bill.

03:36We did that too.

03:38We said we want to save our houseboats.

03:41We will give them a repairing order.

03:43The biggest issue is our license.

03:46They are not renewing our license.

03:49The houseboats that have drowned in 35 years,

03:52they are no more.

03:54As you can see,

03:56today there are only 800 houseboats.

04:00There are no Dunga boats.

04:03There are no Bahats.

04:10Maybe not more than a decade's time,

04:12the government will not take some immediate steps

04:14to secure this community and the houseboats,

04:17which are always in the forefront

04:19to promote tourism at any level,

04:21be it national or international levels,

04:23and work hard since not decades,

04:25maybe from centuries.

04:27The houseboat known as the crown of the tourism of J&K,

04:30unfortunately the government has not come up with any policy

04:33or any comprehensive policy for safeguarding of the houseboats.

04:37Our demand was that we should be declared as a heritage.

04:41Houseboats have existed since long.

04:43Now the decreasing number is worrying us.

04:46I am very much worried that our young generations

04:50have to face a harsh time

04:52and we don't have any other source of livelihood

04:54so we can earn from there and feed our families.

04:57We are also aware and we are also the main promoters of the tourism.

05:02So if houseboats will decline,

05:04same what they are doing,

05:06as of now they are getting declined

05:08and even is getting sinked.

05:10For the renovations, we have to get the permissions.

05:13It takes us years to get a permission for the repairs.

05:16Our licenses are not renewed.

05:18So we have so many challenges

05:20that we don't find any single window system.

05:228-10 houseboats got burnt.

05:26At that time everyone came

05:28that we will do this, we will do that, we will give this.

05:31Till now they have not been given a single penny.

05:33We don't have that much money.

05:35If houseboats were made in lakhs or 2 lakhs

05:38in the 80s or 5 lakhs,

05:40today the same houseboats are made in 6 crores.

05:44So everything is expensive.

05:46Among other challenges,

05:48the next government in J&K

05:50also faces a big challenge

05:52of saving these wooden wonders from extinction.

05:56In Srinagar, for One India,

05:58Ishaar Ali.

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