We live in the age of youth. There are more young people today than at any other time in human history, both in numbers and proportion of the total population. About 1.5 billion people are between the ages of 14 and 24, of which 1.3 billion live in developing countries. Young people in all countries strive for full participation in social life. According to the 2011 census, Jammu and Kashmir has a population of 1.25 Crore and more than 70% of the population is under the age of 35. With this as a background, youth issues have become the core of J&K. Active youth can be very important and positive actors of the society, however, failure to engage the youth in constructive ways can lead to internal conflicts that can last for years.
Kashmir has suffered massive damage in the above-mentioned context. There is a feeling that the youth of Kashmir made a deliberate decision to use weapons as a tool of political bargaining so as to change direction of Kashmiri society. No doubt, youth are the key to understanding the overall dynamics of Kashmir. Currently, 48% of Valley’s population is in the age group of 15-30. Since the start of militancy in 1989, Kashmir’s youth have experienced a prolonged confrontation with political violence; which over time, has shifted in part from Pakistan-backed armed struggles to unarmed street protests. In recent years, the anti-social forces have gained ground under an effective OGW network and all efforts for breaking into this network, what source controlled they may be; have inadvertently led to mass involvement of Kashmiri Youth, even to the extent of a number of arrests being carried out by Security Forces. One of the main reasons for this precarious situation is the problem of unemployment. More than 6 million young people are unemployed in J&K out of which 3 million are in the Kashmir Valley. This unemployment calls into question the role of education capital. The likely reasons for decline of this education system are Skill set does not match available job profiles, Educational institutions are still undeveloped and the formal education system does not allow students to pursue traditional and family occupations such as carpentry, handicrafts or agriculture, or any form of innovation in these fields. The real problem Security Forces are dealing with right now is radicalization, and it’s growing exponentially among the majority. Radical Islamist groups are spreading their ideology with emotional speeches and mosque networks, thereby taking over Madarsas and spreading roots into an education system already exterminated in the valley. The degree of radicalization is not quantifiable, and not everyone is radicalized. L/Nk Nazir Ahmed Wani AC, SM, Lt Ummer Fayaz, Rfn Aurangzeb, SC, people like Shah Faisal, Parvez Raul, and the Aviation Commodore Hilal Ahmed Rather show the dignity and courage of the people of Kashmir.
It seems that disgust and longing have permeated the hearts of Kashmir’s youth and here seems to be no goal in their life. The problem got aggravated with the advent of technology, the new war is being fought not only on the streets, but also using smartphones. Radicalization is further exacerbated by the influence of social media and easily available propaganda content on the internet. In society there is not only social chaos, but also a huge moral vacuum. Added to this, lack of technical governance measures and widespread corruption have made Kashmir a fictional minefield. Further, we have a long history of treating superficial symptoms rather than the disease in totality, which in present scenario are twin cancers of Radicalisation coupled with meagre job opportunities radicalism and job opportunities for youth. Now is the time to address both of these issues, otherwise, the scar will continue to bleed. Now Kashmir may be territorially safe, but emotionally and psychologically the Valley has lost its control. We need to strengthen our ties with the people of Kashmir and re-spread the Kashmiriyat. At the same time; educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities are important areas where young people can be provided with space to discuss and study their problems and
interests, without interference from state, political, religious or security authorities or surveillance threats. We also need more space for dialogue with women and for gender-biased dialogue. Madrasas also plays an important role in guiding youth and children. The teachings of the Quran are often misinterpreted and misdirected. Kashmir can win through spiritual merit. We must reach out to the clergy to clear people’s misconceptions about jihad. A fully reformed School curriculum is the need of time, where in De-radicalisation is best achieved by effective education and the inclusion of civic studies.
Job creation and increased recruitment campaigns for various posts in Security Forces positions can provide young people with productive opportunities to channelize their efforts. Administrative appeal to the public to resist radical demands and extremist speech making can go a long way in building peace in the region. If an area continues to be ruled by structural authority for long time, a percentage of people will tend to depend directly or indirectly on this militant Eco system. So, we need to tackle the radicalized eco-system at J&K by better education imparting knowledge of religion which teaches peace and non-violence this shall provide healing to the people of Kashmir, especially the youth.
