Economic Collapse Exposed: IIOJK’s Declining Hajj Applications

The BJP-led Indian government’s hollow claims of economic growth in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) stand starkly contradicted by a glaring reality: a massive decline in Hajj applications. This trend reveals the deepening financial misery of Kashmiris, a far cry from the prosperity New Delhi claims has followed the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

For Hajj 2025, a meager 3,602 applications have been submitted, less than half of the anticipated 8,000. Over 700 applicants have already withdrawn, citing their inability to afford the fees, while many others failed to meet financial requirements. This marks a shocking 55% drop from the previous year, continuing a downward spiral that began in 2019.

The contrast with pre-abrogation years is damning. In 2017, over 35,000 Kashmiris applied for Hajj, and in 2018, the number remained robust at 32,000. Today, families struggle under relentless economic pressure, with rising inflation, skyrocketing unemployment, and a worsening cost-of-living crisis forcing them to abandon even cherished religious aspirations.

Local experts emphasize the growing despair. “The economic realities of daily life are forcing people to make heartbreaking choices,” said a Kashmiri economist. “Hajj, once a deeply held dream, has now become unattainable due to the crushing financial burden.”

This economic collapse directly contradicts the BJP’s propaganda of prosperity and development in the region. Instead of thriving under New Delhi’s rule, Kashmiris are grappling with unprecedented hardship. Families prioritize basic needs like healthcare, education, and sustenance, while luxuries—and even sacred duties like Hajj—fall by the wayside.

The situation exposes the grim reality of post-2019 IIOJK, where government policies have exacerbated economic inequality rather than alleviating it. The soaring costs of living, coupled with joblessness, are eroding not only household budgets but also the cultural and spiritual fabric of the region.

The BJP’s narrative of “progress” in IIOJK rings hollow in the face of this decline. It is not just the Hajj applications but every aspect of life in IIOJK that speaks of despair. The ground reality reveals a systematic failure to uplift the population, instead leaving them worse off and battling daily struggles for survival.

The dwindling Hajj applications are not just a statistic—they are a scathing indictment of the BJP government’s economic mismanagement and false claims of development. As the financial plight of Kashmiris worsens, New Delhi’s propaganda machine cannot hide the truth: IIOJK’s economy is in free fall, and its people are paying the price.