The Youth Of Today

Youth is a stage of life that falls between childhood and adulthood. It is that stage of life that makes or mars the life the youth. This stage is characterized by emotional instability, agility, energy boom, adventurism, addiction, creativity, etc. It is here where all kinds of precautions should be taken. Any mistake or laziness can prove detrimental. Many developed nations are well aware about this fact. They try their best in providing their youth every kind of facility like social, political, economic, moral, technical, etc. However, in developing countries like India, this is not the case. India has Demographic Dividend; means it has about 60% population in the age group of 15-59 years. The youth resources are in abundance. But the important point is that they don’t get those facilities that they are entitled to. In the same manner, the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, though creative, find themselves at the crossroads. They want to utilize their energy in some constructive purposes but there are no avenues available for them. It has proved detrimental for the whole society.Firstly, the youth of Jammu and Kashmir are socially isolated. The prevailing rituals and customs have made their lives confined. In society, there is gloom everywhere. Everyone feels isolated. Social life is substituted by alienation. There is no interest in meeting someone. The past glory of society is gone. Murderers, thieves, hooligans, etc., are respected while intellectuals are bypassed everywhere. Secondly, there is political vaccum in Jammu and Kashmir. Politics is about development and providing facilities for the youth to nurture their creativity. But the vaccum has taken heavy toll of our youth. In the name of democracy, sometimes dictatorship reigns. Fundamental Rights are violated in a broad daylight. The courts have become the center of noise. Parliament, the temple of democracy, has become the ground for fights and walkouts. Immature politicians are at the helm of affairs. Their minds are stuffed with prejudices. They leave no stone unturned in flaring up communalism. They know rhetoric but no true politics. They exploit the baser passions of the common people and fish in the troubled waters. In this situation, a law-abiding youth is frustrated. If Constitution is a supreme document, it should be respected and adhered to. However, in practice, it is implemented according to the taste. This situation is full of confusion and our youth find themselves in this situation.
There is the need of some concrete measures that can help our youth to come out of this morass. The alarming bells have started to ring but we should hear them right now.
Thirdly, the youth of Kashmir are economically down. They are unemployed. They want to start their own enterprises but the conditions are not suitable. He wants to cultivate land. But that is not available. If he cultivates land, there are chances that the produce will rot. He wants to import technology but cannot afford due to many reasons. In this chaotic atmosphere, there are chances that youth fall in despair and become disillusioned with life. This is the condition of our youth at the present. Moreover, many resources are not fully utilized. They have become the soft targets of politics and greed. We still are unaware that economic prosperity brings overall development. But in the world of blinds, it is difficult to be a seeing person. Fourthly and lastly, morality is at its lowest stage. Drugs are on rise. Youth have become violent. They don’t follow moral principles anymore. Alcohol is drunk in the nook and corner of the valley. Cigarette smoking has become a passion. A youth smokes 10 cigarettes a day. In this way, both health and money are destroyed. Hence, the future of society looks black. There is the need of some concrete measures that can help our youth to come out of this morass. The alarming bells have started to ring but we should hear them right now.
(The author is a freelancer and regularly writes for Kashmir Horizon. Views are his own)[email protected]