Says disenchantment among youth most disturbing of all casualties of unilateral measures undertaken by ruling BJP on 5^th of August in 2019

Srinagar, Jan 21: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Thursday expressed dismay over the increasing unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the back-sliding of governance in the region has robbed a sense of entitlement, and job opportunities from the local youth.

The disenchantment among youth has been the most disturbing of all the causalities of the unilateral measures undertaken by the GOI on 5^th of August in 2019, said the Party General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar while interacting with scores of delegations who had called on him here at party head quarters Nawa-e-Subha. The visiting delegations apprised the General Secretary about the widespread unemployment, administrative inertia and development deficit in their respective areas.

Among others Senior Party Leader Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Party’s North Zone President MP Baramulla Muhammad Akbar Lone, Central Zone President Ali Muhammad Dar, District President Kupwara Qaisar Jamsheed Lone, Provincial Secretary Showkat Ahmed Mir and Ahsan Pardesi were also present on the occasion.

Interacting with the delegations, Party General Secretary said the democratic system which was ushered in Jammu and Kashmir by Sher-e-Kashmir has been derailed by the brush of authoritarianism on 5^th of August 2019. “Unfortunately, the youth of Jammu and Kashmir has in particular been at the receiving end of it. Unilateral and undemocratic rescinding of our constitutionally guaranteed status, disenfranchising natives from exclusive rights over land and jobs, and the smear campaign against them on media has buried their dreams; they see no light at the end of the tunnel. The dream which was sold to our youth while rescinding Articles 370, 35-A has not materialized yet. Local educated youth continue to suffer on account of shrinking opportunities, the absence of a viable employment package and incentivization of tourism, handicraft sectors has further aggravated their plight. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the future of our youth across Jammu and Kashmir has been the biggest causality of august 5^th policy 2019 policy of ruling BJP. The absence of any viable private sector compounded the woes of our unemployed youth,” he said.

 Compounding the predicaments of educated local youth is undoubtedly  the dysfunctional government and its lackluster attitude and unawareness about plethora of issues concerning the people, Sagar said “installing democracy in J&K and putting the local youth on the track of development seems unachievable in the prevailing situation due to the failure of the government in infusing trust in the local youth by making amends to the policy of August 5, 2019, coming out with a passive employment bonanza and sustaining of  tourism and local handloom and handicrafts sectors by added incentivization  Far from taking such affirmative measures, the ruling BJP under the spell of its  faux assimilation drama is adding salt to the injuries of our youth, without giving a thought to its consequences for the country and J&K in particular.”

He said the unstable political situation coupled with the widespread administrative inertia, and development deficit has heralded death to the aspirations of our youth, most of whom he said have turned to substance abuse and drug addiction. “If the crisis is left unattended to by the GOI will morph into a catastrophic one pushing the already aggravated youth to the wall,” he said.

On the occasion the party leaders also raised the issue of failure of district and divisional administration in coping up with the snowfall aftermath. In addition to that the issue of paucity of electricity, water and widespread unaccountability in healthcare centers across Kashmir also predominated the interaction on the occasion.

The party General Secretary urged the provincial and district level functionaries to perk up their public contact at Halqa, Zone, and Provincial levels.