New Wealth Test

Land and gold still shape Kashmir's idea of security, though many families now struggle with daily expenses.

- Irshad Mushtaq

Kashmir's landscape carries old signs of prosperity. Large homes, orchards, and gold passed down through generations tell stories of comfort. Families still hold impressive assets.

The trouble begins when you ask about monthly earnings. Many households are “asset-rich, cash-poor,” living with wealth they cannot easily use. Incomes from small shops, crafts, transport, and farming have thinned across districts. Jobs are harder to find than they were a decade ago.