Opinion | Yes, We Can Change!

True to the saying ”Every cloud has a silver lining”, Kashmir too has its fair share of remarkable youth talent and few children who are diamonds in their fields .Kashmir is a land of talent and its children are a shining hope for a better tomorrow. They have shown extraordinary will to stand up against all odds.

There never was any doubt about the immense talent among children in the Kashmir valley. They have crossed the Rubicon because they have the will and capacity to do so.

This talent is being recognised everywhere. Some in the Kashmir society have devoted themselves to promoting it. Kashmir’s youth have talent and are capable of channelizing it to turn their place into a real paradise, but the experiences of the past 21 years have .By the verdict of Veteran Major General of Vajr (Shri Girish Khalia G),that  the much enthusiastic , 63% of the valley’s male residents are under the age of 30 and 70% are below the age of 35.which speaks at volumes for betterment of economy growth especially in valley, while they should be leveraging their combined energy, skills and enthusiasm towards the much needed development of the region, Kashmir’s young men are languishing. Male youth unemployment in the valley stands at roughly 41%, almost twice the national average. The situation brings forward an urgent need to engage with the youth and wean them away from the desire to pick up the gun for a non-existent, self destructive cause. There is a need to look deeply into the reasons behind the frustration that leads the youth towards pursuing mindless violence, and taking all necessary steps to stop the same.

A major reason behind youth becoming terrorists is the lack of economic opportunity which leads to unemployment and frustration, now with joint collaboration of Indian Army and civil societies Kashmir is boosting day by day with respect to Tourism, entrepreneurship, science and technology and a number of young and educated Kashmiri youth are showing a keen interest to join theatre with the aim of becoming professional actors.

Theatre has been an important medium of communication for centuries and plays a crucial role in highlighting grievances that can be communicated to society. The culture and tradition of Kashmir still survives in spite of various setbacks and trauma in the valley. The education sector in the valley has also seen a tremendous rise. The youth in Kashmir is moving ahead towards development.

– The author can be reached at jmushtaqk@gmail.com