Youngsters hold out hope in Kashmir valley

Often perceptions regarding Kashmiri youngsters are coloured by shrill judgements in the media. Amid this cacophony, the outsider who interacts with youngsters in Kashmir can be pleasantly surprised by their warmth, their political and social consciousness, and their desire to do something for the larger good of society.

News anchor Rajdeep Sardesai was recently in Anantnag, the bustling town near Srinagar, for two youth conferences. His tweet on the experience was telling. Sardesai noted that the common refrain of the students was: We want education, not curfews. We want a resolution, not a conflict.

Like their generation elsewhere, the youngsters in Kashmir are aspirational. They want to achieve, and they want to show: See, we are Kashmiris, and this is what we have accomplished. There is a positive feeling of community and of identity. They don’t just want to live for themselves but also want to contribute to society and the community.

Over the past one month, I interacted with students of educational institutions in Srinagar as part of a campaign against the worrying trend of substance abuse by a section of youngsters in Kashmir. We want students to be part of the core committee that designs and implements the project.

The enthusiasm among the students, their willingness to contribute their time and energy for creating awareness against substance abuse was inspiring. It has been my abiding experience that while Kashmiri students are politically conscious, they are equally aware of social issues confronting the Valley.

When girl students found that we want to closely involve youngsters in the campaign, they offered to lead the movement. I found that there is no dearth of positivity and enthusiasm in the Valley. What the young lack are avenues and opportunities to channelise their energies.

This lack of avenues and opportunities also impacts the overall well-being of society. When an educated youngster is unable to find gainful employment, the failure impacts other youngsters psychologically. We need to focus more on our traditional skills, on our rich arts, crafts, and tourism to develop more opportunities and avenues for young.

In February, I participated in a 3-day UN Global Sustainability Development Goals Conference in Bangkok and got the opportunity to interact with young leaders. The youngsters I met at some educational institutions in Kashmir exhibited the same positive energy. We have potential. All we need is to develop and channelise it constructively and productively.

THERE IS NO DEARTH OF POSITIVITY IN THE VALLEY. THE COMMON REFRAIN OF STUDENTS IS: WE WANT EDUCATION, NOT CURFEWS.