Death is still a livelihood in Kashmir

Sheikh GULZAAR Srinagar: In strife-torn Kashmir, unemployment is rampant. But one business has boomed, thanks to militancy - the business of death. Tomb-makers and epitaph writers are an in-demand lot. Perhaps not as in demand as they were at the peak of militancy, yet, it is a viable career option. In 1989, Srinagar had seven tomb-makers. Now, there are more than 25. All are doing good business, even though the death rate has come down considerably in the last three years. "It's all is in the hands of Allah. He plays his own games," says Shabir Ahmad, a 50-year-old tomb-maker who has witnessed Kashmir's bloodiest years. "In a state where newspapers report dozens of deaths everyday, who would not try his luck in the business," he asks. Even security forces place orders for the memorial nameplates for their colleagues killed in action. Amjid Khan, 33, who did his graduation in Urdu, switched to the booming business in 1993. And there are many like him in the Valley. "The business of death is as old as time. And if the situation is 'hot' like Kashmir, it is financially very lucrative to carve tombs and epitaphs," he says. On an average, 90 people die in a month in Kashmir. In the early Nineties, it was more than 150 per month. With untimely and unnatural death becoming commonplace, graves, like life, have changed. Instead of intricately carved tombs, people now prefer granite and marble slabs. The reason - they are cheaper and can be made quicker. "There has been a 75 percent decrease in carved tombs. People prefer slabs of granite and marble instead," says Muhammad Jamal, who makes tombs and epitaphs. A carved tomb costs between Rs 800-4,000. But, granite and marble slabs cost between Rs 250-900. "These days, we inscribe 12-15 sheets of granite every month," says Jamal. He recalls the days when business was at its peak - 1990 to 1995. "Every day, we would get orders to carve epitaphs of people who had died in violent incidents." The trend of granite and marble slabs was started by the "martyrs' graveyard" and Idgah in Srinagar where more than 500 people are buried. All of them died in militancy-related incidents. The graveyard is dotted with similar slabs. Outsourcing has caught on too. "There is a sharp decrease in the supply of stones," says Ahmad Yousuf, a supplier in Khrew. Now, most of the granite and marble slabs come from Rajasthan. The katibs - people who write epitaphs - have also seen death change their lives. "There were times in 1995 when I would write on 20 stones a day." says M. Makhdoomi, a katib. On an average, a katib charges between Rs 50-100 to inscribe an epitaph. But Makhdoomi would rather not make so much money. "May Allah bring peace to the Valley," he says. Reyaz, a shop owner in downtown Srinagar, remembers when he got his life's biggest assignment. "I had to carve granite and marble for 33 people who died when police opened fire on protestors near Khanyar," he says. "All were buried in the same graveyard near the site of incident." There are approximately 17,000 such 'martyrs' graveyards' in Kashmir. Officials put the number of dead during armed freedom strugle between 55,000-70,000. But unofficially, the toll has crossed the One-lakh 80 thousand mark.(Writer-South Asia)