People's Democracy

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Youth Stage Militant Rally to Press Demands

ON February 3, the Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Youth Federation (JKDYF) staged a strong protest demonstration at Kulgam, demanding guarantee of livelihood to the educated unemployed youth in the state. Hundreds of energetic JKDYF activists, with placards, festoons and flags in their hands, raised full-throated slogans to press their demands for employment, decent living conditions and democratic rights.

Addressing the rally, JKDYF state president Mohammad Iqbal Wani greeted the youth for coming on to the roads to assert their rights, and asked them to open a new front for a better future, security and dignity. He recounted the trials and tribulations through which the youth of the state had to go during recent years and asked the powers-that-be not to take the needs and requirements of this segment of society lightly. He lamented that the state suffered from lack of investment, total absence of an industrial base and decay of its indigenous industries.

Wani also flayed the government for its inefficiency in tackling the issues of unemployment, corruption, peace and security to the youth. He asked it to issue clear instructions to the law enforcing agencies to respect the human dignity and refrain from violation of human rights in the state. He also demanded that harassment of the youth in the state must stop forthwith.

Advocate Arshid Hussain Baba, Farooq Ahmad Brazloo and Mohd Afzal Parray were among others who addressed the rally. They criticised the government for rampant corruption and exploitation of youth in the state. They demanded the creation of an industrial base in the state for generation of jobs, and also demanded regularisation of the services of all daily wagers, casual and contractual workers. 

The federation lashed at the government for erratic power supply in the state and non-availability of items of daily need in the far-off areas. It demanded that the government must to sensitise its the field functionaries to provide respite to the people during the ongoing winter.

Later a memorandum listing the demands of youth, was handed over to the deputy commissioner of Kulgam.

The memorandum said the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Youth Federation (JKDYF) feels honoured in representing the aspirations of the thousands of educated unemployed youth in the state and believes in peaceful democratic struggle to achieve its goals in regard to employment, free education, peace, security and development.

The memorandum said the youth of the state have borne the main brunt of widespread violence in the state for the last 22 years. Many of them have lost their lives, many are languishing in the jails and lakhs feel frustrated as a result of the pervading unemployment. The promises made by the successive governments in the state have been broken and, despite all the tall talk, there has been no improvement in the life of youth of the state. The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Youth Federation has been championing the cause of the youth in the state and is waging a struggle for an improvement in their life.

A huge army of educated youth has been rendered jobless, thanks to the policies pursued by the successive governments, which have resulted in dismay and frustration of the youth across the State. In our state the unemployment problem has increased manifold due to corrupt state of affairs and political hegemony. To tackle this problem, a comprehensive employment policy needs to be formulated in the state to make best use of the talent and potential that our youth posses.

In continuation of its resolve to strive for the democratic, legal and constitutional rights to the youth of the state, the JKDYF reiterated the following demands through its memorandum.

1) Restoration of peace through dialogue, reconciliation and settlement of issues.

2) Right to work as a legally enforceable fundamental right in the constitution.

3) Promotion of employment oriented education and vocational training to enhance the youth employability.

4) Immediate redressal of the issues of public importance like rising prices, erratic power supply, non-availability of essential commodities and strengthening of public distribution system.

5) Special funds for intermediate, college and universities for training, seminar, consultation and awareness programmes for the students and youth.

6) Regularisation of all daily wagers, casual and contractual workers.

7) Minimisation of delays in and simplification of procedures for sanction of loans to the youth under the self-employment schemes.

8) Making the state administration corruption free and immediate weeding-out of the corrupt elements.

9) Creation of an industrial base in the state with the aim of job-oriented development and economic progress of the state.

10) Putting an end to all sorts of harassment of youth within and outside state.

11) Release of the innocent youth languishing in jails without trial.

12) A high level, credible enquiry into all cases of killings and disappearances in the state during the last 22 years.

13) Formulation of a state youth policy, formation of state youth council and creation of an action plan to be implemented and evaluated by youth. 

14) Allocation of adequate funds to the department of youth services and sports for youth development.

15) Regulation and modernisation of the existing system relating to health of the young people, improvement in the health facilities across the state in the matter of nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and safe drinking water. Special emphasis on treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and rehabilitation of drugs addicts.