Fresh alienation brewing among Kashmir youth, reveals report 

Fresh alienation brewing among Kashmir youth, reveals report

Umar Maqbool

Srinagar, Nov 12: Sense of “alienation” and “disempowerment” among Kashmiri youth is high and they want to see government of India doing “something positive before it is too late.”

A report prepared by a team of South Asia Peace Movement reveals as how much anger is brewing inside the hearts of youth in Kashmir.

The team of South Asia Peace Movement led by its chairman Tariq Bhat preapared this report after meeting scores of youth groups in south, north and central Kashmir.

In South Kashmir where the team met six different youth groups in Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopoin, Pulwama, Tral and Kokernag found fresh alienation brewing in.

“The youth blamed security forces of going berserk and damaging private properties of locals. These youth strongly feel authorities in Delhi are only interested in scoring vote bank on the name of Kashmir rather than being sensitive to the long pending Kashmir issue,” reads the report while quoting a group of youth in Anantnag.

The report says qualified youth joining militant ranks is celebrated as local youth as new achievement of the “on going freedom struggle.”

“A group of youth in Tral, the ancetral town of Burhan Wani, term the slain militants as real heroes of Kashmir. They said they celebrate the martyrdom of militants. They are happy highly qualified youth are joining militant ranks which according to them is a message to entire world that freedom struggle is led by educated youth,” it reads.

However, the peace loving youth, as per report, have expressed resentment against government of India for gaining to act and redress the genuine grievances of youth.

“Government of India must act before it is too late. We are peace loving. Repression and appeal for shunning the path of freedom struggle cannot go together,” reads the report while quoting a group of youth.

It added that youth want sincere efforts by union government, empowerment of youth, opening political opportunities for local youth rather than promoting “traditional corrupt and self centred regional political parties.”
Another group of youth blamed local government for worsening situation. They also accused some beaurucrates of being corrupt.
“The state government led by or in coalition, National Conference, PDP, Congress and BJP all these parties remained busy in their in filling their own pockets,” reads report quoting a group of youth in Baramulla.
“The corrupt beaurucrates are given prime posting. These corrupt beaurucrates are so powerful that even prime minister cannot touch them. It is a shameful youth suffer because of these corrupt beaurucrates,” it reads while quoting reasons given by aggrieved youth as how these beaurucrates are creating further alienation in Kashmir.

Chairman South Asia Peace Movement Tariq Bhat refused to make any comments over the report, saying, “We have prepared a report and will forward it to competent authorities with a request to redress grievances of people of Kashmir.”

The report has been prepared after visiting of several districts during past three months, said sources privy to the development.