Widely publicized “International Year of Youth” could not help Kashmir’s young denizens to develop and prosper, instead were put to more trouble and high exploitation in the year 2010 writes Muhammad Yusuf.
The year 2010 was declared as International Year of Youth by United Nations Organization (UNO) at its General Assembly, held in August last year in an effort to harness the initiative, energy and imagination of the world’s young denizens in overcoming the challenges facing humanity today.
It was felt that like all other youths of the globe there will be effective participation of Kashmiri youth in all aspects of the society. There was hope that organizations involved in the development of youth such as Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, J&K Youth Services and Sports, J&K Social Welfare Department, lower and higher educational institutions and the NGO’s would come forward and encourage all sectors of society to work in partnership with youth to better understand their needs and concerns and to recognize the contributions that they can make to the society.
The General Assembly had called on the Governments, civil society, individuals and communities worldwide to support activities at local and international levels to mark the event. The year was aimed at to encourage dialogue and understanding across generations and promote the ideals of peace, prosperity, respect of human rights, freedom and solidarity.
The scheme also had the background of encouraging world youth to dedicate themselves for fostering progress, remove social evils, saving environment and ecology, ranging from extreme poverty and hunger to maternal and infant mortality to lack of access to education and health care.
The Kashmiri youth is in dilemma today. He has no goal in life to achieve because of the situation he is caught in. He is trapped by unemployment, poverty and many social disturbances all around. He has no escape from political garoa even. They were forced to Celebrate the International Youth Year in very unique way during summer 2010. He was caught in conflicts in which more than 120 youth got killed and hundreds were injured. Many are still lying in the jails. Nobody bothered for their rehabilitation and development. Many could not appear in their examinations thus spoiled their career which will have devastating replications in near future.
The growing unemployment has virtually broken the backbone of our youth. They do not earn lively hood and have become dependent to their parents. A boy of 37 years or more is not able to support financially his elderly parent. He is not even able to marry at proper age and which has thus given birth to so many social evils in the valley today. The diseases like depression, anxiety, heart diseases and hypertension are becoming increasing common among our youth now.
The response towards celebrating the Youth Year from NGOs and youth related Government Organizations, particularly J&K Youth Services Department remained poor. There was hope that all these organizations would come forward and arrange a stage for celebrating the year in a big way by arranging seminars on different issues of the youth, symposiums, cultural exchange, sporting events and exhibitions etc. The J&K Youth Services and Sports Department has a role in the youth affairs but unfortunately the department is confined to sporting events alone. One will never find any program on development of youth in the annual calendar of this Department.
The youth was in fact exploited by many in many ways. At the start of the youth year some organizations/institutions decided to facilitate and encourage the youth to celebrate the year 2010 in a very big way but at the end of the celebration year all their declarations proved biased, false and fruitless. Surprisingly two main wings such as Directorate of Distance Education and Directorate of Long Learning of the apex educational institution, the University of Kashmir, announced in public to celebrate the year by conducting different adventurous, cultural and recreational activities for their students pursuing education in these two departments. The Honb’l Vice-Chancellor very happily approved their projects. Lacs of rupees were sanctioned to Distance Education Department for these ambitious programs. Much publicity was given in the media merely to highlight the self by the heads of these two departments of the University but astonishingly none of the activity was virtually conducted later. The Marathon race, organized by the Distance Education was total failure.
Participation in adventure like activities could certainly help students in many ways. It is admitted fact that adventure develops courage, coordination, camaraderie, companionship and cooperation like personality traits. It could facilitate them to get out of the bustle of the city and have interaction with the people of different ethnic and cultural communities, living in the mountainous areas of the state. It is admitted fact that these recreational activities are vital part of one’s all round development and an important area of man’s cultural heritage. There is no other thought that a sport is a science of outdoors where a person is exposed to the hardships of life. Sport is important component and integral part of general education. Without it educational system is incomplete.
It is admitted fact that as much importance is attached to studies as to life outdoors. It is a way of living, acting and thinking together with a fraternity of people. It brings about complete mental, emotional and spiritual integration. Society makes relationship superficial; mountaineering deepens them because “shared adversity has a lot to do. Adventure makes youth resourceful and teaches them to face difficulties. It is not only a source of thrill, excitement and joy but it also provides a valuable opportunity for developing such traits so as to prepare youngsters for facing challenges against all odds confidently. This provides a creative and happy outlet for the abundant energy, enthusiasm and imagination of the youth. Appreciatively outdoor pursuits create and foster amongst them a spirit of risk-taking, cooperative team work, the capacity to ready and vital response to challenging situations and of endurance. This will also provide a creative and happy outlet for the abundant energy, enthusiasm and imagination of the youth.
It is highly appreciating that with a view to celebrate the International Year of Youth the Directorate of Physical Education and Sports, Kashmir University organized several adventure based activities at Drass, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and river Chenab Jammu which include Paragliding, Rock-Climbing, River Rafting and Trekking for male and female students of Colleges and Post-Graduate Departments. The cultural exchange with different ethnic groups were also organized by them. It helped youth to recreate themselves.
Published in Daily Greater Kashmir on 23rd March, 2011
