YOUTH – FUTURE OF NAYA KASHMIR
Youth are the most vibrant and dynamic segment of any society, their participation in decision making is key to shaping a brighter future for all and Kashmir is no different, the only difference I believe lies in the circumstances that the Kashmiri youth have gone through in their past. Over last one year in the Valley, during my interaction with the youth I came across, I found not much of difference in them as compared to those from other parts of the country. Although in some of them, I could sense a feeling of frustration and deprivation of normal childhood which is rightly so because of the fact that they grew up in a society where civil and political life were hollowed out by conflict, However, inspite of the violent phase of turmoil these youth had witnessed, what intrigued me was the sense of optimism and hope of positive change and development they had for the generations to follow.Jammu and Kashmir, with 62% of its population between the age group of 15-59 years and 54% of total population under 25 years has tremendous potential to grow economically. The disparities that existed for long time had turned the youth increasingly restless, however, with the renewed focus of the Union Territory government aligned towards youth engagement and empowering women, these disparities are likely to subside.To my understanding, what the present day youth in the Valley aspires, is just an opportunity. An opportunity to earn a respectful living for his family, explore and showcase his capability to the world and live a honorable life like any other youth in any part of the world.Present day Youth in the Valley are forward looking with high aspirations and great zeal to accomplish a goal that each one of them has set for themselves. Ishrat Akhtar (Kashmir’s first International Wheel chair Basketball player), Sadia Tariq (Wushu Champion) and Bilal Ahmad Dar (Asian Junior Cycling Champion) are few among the many Youth with potential to make their nation proud not only at regional but at Global level. Many Kashmiri youth are emerging as fwd in every art form be it painting, singing, fashion designing or any other field.Kashmiri youth earlier were highly apprehensive in moving out of the Valley for studies and work. This trend has seen a significant change over last few years. Today, a large No of youth are travelling outside Kashmir not only to other parts of the country but also abroad seeking opportunities to excel in their respective fields of interests. Many amongst these have also chosen to return to their motherland to serve the locals and uplift their society by implementing the good practices and developments observed outside the Kashmir Valley.This change is contributing immensely at grass root level where in many youth have been engaging in democratic processes either by raising their own political parties or joining already existing political parties to address the issues which were long neglected due to myopic agendas of erstwhile political leaders. This new fervor in the pol domain, hopefully will bring significant positive change in the Valley in times to come.In my view, today’s youths in Kashmir are inspirational, optimistic, chasing dreams, bringing in positive social change and are the driving force behind the Valley’s progress. Breaking away from stereotypes, they are creating opportunities for themselves, these young people of the Valley have immense potential to change the world with their ideas and creativity and shape a better tomorrow for the Kashmir Valley. What is now required from the government is developing a comprehensive plan to promote and build an ecosystem around the successful young entrepreneurs and young achievers hailing from Valley to effect change in whole of Kashmir.
