Nearly two months after the revocation of Article 370 and35A in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, scores of broke Kashmiristudents here have resorted to a novel initiative - selling Kashmiri apples tomake some extra cash for survival.

A truckload with 17 tonnes of luscious organic apples fromDoda, sent through the J&K Agriculture Department, reached here onWednesday for sale in the local markets.

"These apples - of three different qualities - weresimply loved by the people here and have sold out like hotcakes. Encouraged bythis, we have ordered another truck which will reach here by Friday," NGO'Sarhad' chief Sanjay Nahar toldThe truckload of apples was segregated intothree different qualities as per their size and offloaded in the local marketsfor Rs 50, Rs 75 and Rs 100 per kg, respectively - considerably cheaper thanthe range available through the regular marketing channels.He said afterdeducting all expenses including transportation and unloading, the remainingmoney estimated to be around Rs 9,00,000 for the maiden consignment - shall bedirectly deposited in the bank accounts of the farmers in Doda from whom theapples were sourced."Now, we shall set up out own stalls in Grahak Peth,Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya and Arnyshwar Sahkar Nagar which will be manned by theKashmiri students. They will be given an honorarium of Rs 600 per day for theirservices," Nahar added.

Terming this as a win-win situation for both the Kashmirifarmers and the students in Pune besides the consumers, Nahar and otherKashmiri volunteers plan to expand it to other districts shortly.

One of the Kashmiri students, Adil Mir has set up a five-memberteam to work out the quality control details of the consignments coming fromthe farmers to the consumers here."Within the next 3-4 months, we hope toestablish a quality control laboratory at a convenient location in Kashmirwhere the fruits consignments shall be graded and costs worked out beforedispatching them to Maharashtra for marketing," said Mir.

The initiative has already excited Puneites who are nowdemanding more - different varieties of apples, apricots, walnuts, the prizedsaffron and other fresh or dry fruits for which the newly-declared unionterritory has been famed since centuries, said 'Sarhad' activist Javed Wani.

Nahar and Mir said that presently, around 50 students - whohave little or no resources to survive - have volunteered to sit in stalls andsell the Kashmiri agro-products.

"Around 65 per cent of the 500 students in Pune havefinancial problems and this initiative will help them a lot. Some are unable toafford their daily expenses and college fees after the recent developments intheir homeland," Nahar explained.

Mir added that if the current pilot project in Punesucceeds, they would venture out to other neighbouring districts with the helpof organisations like Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and others to makeavailable Kashmiri farm produce directly to the consumers here.

"If everything proceeds smoothly, we may diversify toKashmiri handicrafts, artworks, carpets, and other items that are in greatdemand worldwide to get them directly from the manufacturing locations to themarkets here," another student Zahid Bhat told

Besides Pune there are around 3,000 Kashmiri students livingand studying in the state, including some 300 in Mumbai, and a majority arevirtually cut-off from their families without monetary resources.