Debt, Distress & Antidepressants: Thousands Struggle To Recover From A J&K Trade Route Closed 4 Years Ago
On 8 March 2019, the Indian government shut down for repairs a single-lane ‘bridge of peace’, suspending a flourishing barter trade between Kashmiris in India and Pakistan. The bridge never reopened. Thousands of jobs were hit and crores lost by the overnight closure, as traders found themselves unable to repay loans or clear stocks. Article14 found shuttered hotels, godowns and depressed traders, labourers and others still struggling to cope with the end of a once-booming economy.