Editorial
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| | A hollow gesture | | Omar Abdullah’s concern for the youth is incongruent with the atrocious conduct of his government | | In normal circumstances, revival of the National Conference party’s youth wing by Omar Abdullah would have evoked considerable interest in public circles especially as the youth population today is more significant than before. Roughly it is more than a half of the total population of the state. However, there is no surprise that the recent news about revival of NC’s youth wing had gone almost unnoticed barring its publicity by the official media and that too because the news happened to be connected with the chief minister’s public engagements of the day. In Jammu and Kashmir, more than in any other state of this country, the youth need to be organised to face multifarious challenges ahead of them at individual as well as collective level. Fast pace of life in the 21st century compounded by tremendous advance in various spheres of life require considerable amount of training and aptitude development. Primary requirement for engaging youth in purposeful, constructive activities is to ensure that they are gainfully employed and allowed to pursue their legitimate interests in free atmosphere in real sense of the word.
Unfortunately, Omar Abdullah’s innings in office coincided with allround onslaught on the youth population. Conditions have since been going from bad to worse, if anything. Being young himself, the chief minister was expected to make a difference at the helm. Even a faint ray of hope emanating from his position would have had a cascading positive impact on the ground. Instead, his regime came to be identified virtually with blood of youngmen on its hands. Among many other adverse consequences, this scenario delivered a death blow to hopes and expectations associated with the regime. Even so, if now there is belated realisation that the youth of this state need to be organised for betterment of their future it should be welcomed.
Assuming that there is sincerity behind the move and that it is not the usual deceptive political manoeuvre to hoodwink a volatile segment of population, the first step should be to clear the atmosphere which is suffocating and fouled by shameful atrocities directed at the restive youth. They have been at the receiving end of the stick; a large number of them killed in wanton firing, larger number pushed behind bars and almost the entire youth population subjected to terrifying fear psychosis. It is a pathetic sight, indeed very shameful, that detained youth not convicted for any proven crime are taken from prison cell to examination halls in handcuffs. Youth are targeted by ruthless security forces and hunted by vicious intelligence agencies at the drop of a hat.
The academic atmosphere in the state remains choked by these suffocating restrictions. Worse, the atmosphere of fear is sought to be converted into state policy mainly to deter the youth population. Even minors and teenagers are not spared when victimisation is let loose and that happens all too frequently. Because of the shabby treatment meted out to them in their home-state, Kashmiri youth venturing out for higher studies or employment are subjected to persecution bordering on apartheid. So much so that even the civil society does not spare them. The odium of suspicion pinned upon them in their own state follows them wherever they go. Finding suitable residential accommodation or seeking appropriate job placement is an uphill task for them. There could not be a greater disincentive than this for motivating local youth to step out into the wider horizon.
Drafting a few individuals into the National Conference fold, without caring for creating a conducive atmosphere for the betterment of youth, is meaningless as it is not going to make any difference on the ground. It might give self-satisfaction to the chief minister or some others in his party but beyond that it would be seen only as a hollow gesture. |
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