Kashmiri traders to boycott Jammu products

JAMMU: Faced with an economic blockade of the Valley by Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, the Kashmir Traders Federation has said that it will snap all business ties with traders in Jammu region and instead buy products directly from other cities like Amritsar and Delhi. ( Watch )

"We have decided not to buy any product from traders in Jammu and instead buy products directly from other markets like Delhi and Amritsar," Chairman of the Traders Federation Jan Mohammad Koul told news agencies in Srinagar.

"We will not cooperate with the traders of Jammu anymore. We are not going to buy any goods from them ... we have decided to boycott Jammu traders," Koul said accusing the Centre of failing to provide protection to the traders of Kashmir.

"The situation in the aftermath of economic blockade of the Valley and attacks on minority community in Jammu has made it clear that it is part of a well-thought out conspiracy and the Centre is involved in it," Koul said.

Complaining that truck loads are not being allowed to move to Kashmir with the government being a mute spectator, he said the traders of Jammu have hurt their sentiments.

"We will continue our struggle for an alternative route to the Valley," he said urging heads of multi-national companies to open their depots in Kashmir forthwith keeping in view the sale of their products.

Meanwhile, the Centre is groping in the dark on how to calm the waves of violence that continue to rock Jammu and Srinagar over cancellation of the land allocation for Amarnath pilgrims, with reports of angry mobs lynching two cops at Jourian near Akhnoor on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet top leaders of political parties on Wednesday to discuss measures to calm the situation in the state and seek a consensus on how to end the impasse.