By Mudassir Kuloo, Agence India Press,
Srinagar: Wearing the traditional Kashmir Pheran and spotting the short beard, Javeed is busy with fanning the hot embers on which the barbecues (seekh tuj) are prepared. He (Javeed) is holding twice Masters and many others degrees to his name, but the fate have turned him a barbecue seller owing to the unemployment and corruption in the Kashmir Valley.
Hailing from the North Kashmir, Javeed Ahmad Teli resides at the Nehalpora, Pattan have pursued Masters in rural Development, B. Ed and M.Ed from the Kashmir University. He is also holding six months course in Horticulture, Computer course, and various other short term courses.
However, after much endeavored in his life, he failed to find the employment. Now he (Javeed) is selling barbecues on the vendor in this North Kashmir, Baramulla District, to support his family from the past five years.
Recounting his woeful tale to the Agence India Press, Javeed said “I applied at various departments to get job there, but to no avail. There is corruption everywhere and the officials in the departments are demanding lakhs of rupees to provide the job.
“However being a poor, I could not afford to pay lakhs of rupees which compelled me to sell the barbecues and to support my poor family,” says Javeed, in a dreary voice.
Javeed’s small brother, who was busy with serving barbecues to the customers, left the studies owing to the poor condition of family and to support his ailing father.
Javeed intended to become a teacher and to serve the society.”But this dream remained unfulfilled to me, despite pursued higher education. I am not satisfied with this work, but am doing only because of compulsion.”
“I got offers from various private schools but they were paying meager salary of 1500 per month, through which, it was not possible me to sustain my family.”
Javeed claimed that his class mates who use to belong to the well off families got the respectable job.
“Poverty left me nowhere but in a deep lurch and misery. I find it difficult to face the people who often use to talk about my fate and disrespect me. I feel it very bad to sell the barbecue despite holding higher degrees,” he says in a dejected voice, amid agony vividly reflects on his face.
But the deep hitches have not shattered his determination. “I will now go for M. Phil then for the P.H.D. That is why I am working hard and collecting money for my further studies,” says Javeed.
“One thing which haunts me is that I let down the hopes of my parents who have seen many good dreams about me. So far, I could not show my parents good times in their life,” says, in a dejected voice and gets again busy by grilling the barbecues and engage with the customers. He gesticulates towards his brother to hasten towards a customer needing more chutney (mixture of vegetables and spices).