Home India Politics Lok Sabha elections: Kashmiri youth not interested in polls

Lok Sabha elections: Kashmiri youth not interested in polls

By NAK

Jammu/Srinagar: Having been allegedly ‘exploited’ by the respective state and centre governments, un-employed youth of the Jammu and Kashmir shows no more interests in the elections as they have been always ‘trapped in the empty slogans’ of the political party’s.

Elections 2009 is not taken very seriously by the youth of the state who have allegedly been ignored by the respective governments as no concrete employment policy has been framed so far.

Ahead of elections scheduled to be held in the month of April-May 2009 for electing the Parliamentarians of the country, the youth particularly in the state of Jammu and Kashmir have lost their interest in taking part in the polling and seems least bothered about the process.

Out of twenty youth only two say they will participate and rest showed resentment against the government for not providing then Jobs.

“What we have gained so far every political party has promised job opportunity to us and after they won they even forget our names”, Nazir Ahmad who has recently completed his M.Phil and is looking for a job told News Agency of Kashmir, adding “it is our fate no one else can help us in getting employment until we don’t pay to ‘officials’ to come in the merit list.”

State of Jammu and Kashmir has been facing severe un-employment problem since last one decade and the number is on the rise which is going to be difficult for the all political party’s who make it one of the election issue.

“What happened to one job to each family as promised by one of the alliance partner to previous coalition government during the 2002 Assembly Elections?” , said Nahida Gulzar, adding we are three sisters and all of us are educated ye none among us was given government job.

She said if some jobs at district or state level were announced, no such person was absorbed among whose family there is even not a single government employee. “what these politicians will have to tell, they are also part of the game being played with the aspirations of the poor people” she lamented, adding I recently applied for the post of teacher under SSA, I was not considered, have any minister or official guts to order a probe in the selection list of SSA teachers across the Jammu region particularly in Poonch district.

Another, post graduate for whom even becoming a police constable is dream, said that “IS STATE KA KHUDA HI HAFIZ HI, JO IS KO BACHA SAKTA HAI CORRUPTION SE” Only God can save this state from corruption which has become a highest qualification for the government Jobs.

“I was confident of getting a job in police and when I applied some people came to me and offer me job against some hefty amount, even though I had qualified all the tests” Shakeel name changed on request told NAK, adding that neither I paid nor I got the Job.

He said that even for becoming an SPO one need approach and even an amount not less than rupees 30000, which was offered free of cost in 1996 but none was interested. “We have now no interest in taking part in elections which are rigged to shield the scandals”, he added.

“Has government investigated any recruitment through its secret agency whether the process has been clean and without money transactions” he added and said let government be committed in eradication of corruption and take appropriate measure to curb it.

If the measures for the employment are taken by the present government they will have to face the music in the coming years and only the appropriate steps for the creation of posts in the government and private sector could save them from the ugly situation.