Retire in Debt

Decades of government service once promised stability in Kashmir. Today, retired employees face rising debts and insecurity, while the next generation struggles to plan for an uncertain future.

- Irshad Mushtaq

Ghulam Rasool spent over thirty years working as a clerk in Srinagar’s government offices. He was proud of his job, steady and respectable. He worked long hours, often under the strain of Kashmir’s harsh winters and political uncertainty, believing that a pension and gratuity would carry him into a peaceful retirement. Instead, they have become sources of anxiety.

Rasool’s story is far from unique.

Scores of retired government employees in Kashmir face mounting debts, rising medical expenses, and the pressure of supporting their children well into adulthood.

The familiar narrative of stable government employment unraveling into financial instability is becoming increasingly common.

Once, government jobs were abundant, prized for the security they offered in a region marked by economic and political challenges.

Now, these jobs are scarce, their competition fierce.

As vacancies shrink, younger generations find themselves waiting longer for employment, often relying on their parents for financial support far beyond what previous generations expected.

The real problem emerges when children pursue higher education outside Kashmir, a growing trend among Kashmiri families.

Fees in mainland India or abroad can cost several lakhs of rupees. The social obligation to arrange marriages, especially of daughters, comes with its own heavy price tags.