Srinagar: 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 5th of August in 2019,” said Party General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar while interacting with scores of delegations who, according to the JKNC spokesperson, 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,” the spokesperson said.
“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,” the JKNC spokesperson said.
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 5th 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 5th policy 2019 policy of ruling BJP. The absence of any viable private sector compounded the woes of our unemployed youth,” the spokesperson quoted Sagar as saying.
“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. 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,” said Sagar.
“The unstable political situation coupled with the widespread administrative inertia, and development deficit has heralded death to the aspirations of our youth and most of them 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.
