Abstract
What makes the cultivation of a certain type of crop, tree, or fruit integral of a nation’s political and cultural consciousness – beyond its economic significance – is a million-dollar question. In many regions of the world, certain trees are seen as the symbol of their national identity – be it ceiba tree in the Americas, olive trees in occupied Palestinian territories, or kauri trees in Titirangi (New Zealand).
In Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir, apples have seemingly become the main embodiment of this restive territory’s economic and political identity. The centrality of apple farming in the Kashmir valley has effectively been interwoven into all aspects of the society, contributing significantly to livelihoods and economic sustenance for the population. Apple cultivation in this fiercely disputed Himalayan territory, therefore, has emerged into an active site of conflict, as well as resistance, against the Indian occupation – akin to olive farming in occupied Palestinian territories.
In Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir, apples have seemingly become the main embodiment of this restive territory’s economic and political identity. The centrality of apple farming in the Kashmir valley has effectively been interwoven into all aspects of the society, contributing significantly to livelihoods and economic sustenance for the population. Apple cultivation in this fiercely disputed Himalayan territory, therefore, has emerged into an active site of conflict, as well as resistance, against the Indian occupation – akin to olive farming in occupied Palestinian territories.
| Original language | English |
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| Media of output | Online |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Aug 2023 |