National Conference president Farooq Abdullah accused the Jammu and Kashmir administration of being indifferent to the plight of the youths of the Union Territory, who, he claimed, were turning to drugs out of joblessness and ensuing frustration.
The NC president, who is also the Srinagar MP, made the allegation while interacting with party workers who had called on him at his residence here.
The visiting delegation apprised the party president of various issues concerning the people, particularly youths.
“The J&K youths are sinking under the weight of the incumbent administration’s indifference,” said Mr Abdullah.
He also told the visiting delegation that the August 5, 2019 decision of revoking J&K’s special status has adversely affected the local educated and skilled youths.
“The mounting evidence is in the form of widespread and scathing unemployment and job losses resulting in their continuing alienation and frustration,” he said.
The NC president said the incumbent administration’s “lack of interest” in the needs of youths has also incurred a cost in terms of their physical and mental health.
“Youths are a major part of our demographics but regrettably this promising chunk of the J&K population is living in frustration, unemployment, and insecurity. Despite having the best of capabilities, our youths from Kashmir, Chenab, and Pirpanjal and Jammu regions are uniformly caught in a vortex.
“Mired by hopelessness and anxiety, our youths are taking to drug addiction and substance abuse. The situation is very grim and our youths are living the grimmest nightmare, one which brings new government diktats seeking to deprive them of their land rights, natural resources, livelihood and freedom. There has been no respite,” he said.
Mr Abdullah said there is a great need to come up with a “youth project that seeks to relocate and rejuvenate the disenfranchised energies of our youths”.
Terming unemployment as the most alarming issue faced by youths, he said, “The much-touted promises of local and central governments on extravaganza, investment and fast-tracking of recruitment has fallen flat.”
“On the contrary, unemployment in all J&K regions has seen a manifold increase which also had a cascading effect on other social and health issues particularly of our youths,” he said.
He said the NC remains committed to the revision and revival of the youth policy that will create a situation wherein the J&K youths will get education and employment and remain free from drug abuse, sectarianism and communalism.
