Much is debated and discussed about the empowerment of youth amid unprecedented rise in unemployment and cancellation of recruitment processes initiated in recent moths by the J&K Services Selection Board (J&K SSB) one after the other. What matters the most is the fact that promises of fast track recruitment processes and fast track implementation of Industrial Investment policy had generated hopes about generation of more employment opportunities and consequently gradual rise in income generation also. While the cancellation of recruitment processes due to allegations of irregularities has disillusioned educated unemployed youth in Jammu and Kashmir, the delay in the implementation of the industrial investment policy is also an issue which deserves immediate attention and intervention of the Jammu & Kashmir Government in pursuit of a broader objective of economically empowering the youth of Jammu & Kashmir. While for the first time in recent years the incumbent Jammu & Kashmir Government has handed over the investigation into the alleged regularities in several recruitment processes undertaken by J&K Services Selection Board (J&K SSB) for the purposes of transparency and accountability in the recruitment process, the increasing focus on winter tourism for the first time in last several decades has generated hopes of more employment opportunities in tourism sector due to unprecedented rise in income generation in the tourism and allied sectors last summer in Jammu & Kashmir. Amid cancellation of recruitment process due to alleged irregularities in them the Government commanded and controlled by Lt Governor Manj Sinha has planned to execute several tourist related activities during the ongoing harshest winter period “Chilla-i-Kalan” even at the places which always used to remain shut during the harshest winter periods in Valley.
“Like all weather tourism the traditional arts and crafts can also be changed into an all weather trading activity in Jammu & Kashmir. Like tourist stake holders local artisans also deserve greater attention for the purposes of reviving the pristine glory of traditional arts and crafts of Kashmir Valley in pursuit of a bigger objective of the economic empowerment of the skilled youth of Jammu & Kashmir”.
The expansion of tourism sector alone won’t reduce the rising trends and tendencies of unemployment in Jammu & Kashmir but unless and until the Government does not focus on other sectors of economy the rising trends and tendencies of joblessness can’t be reduced just by expanding only tourism sector. The reduced interest of youth in traditional arts and crafts is a big challenge and measures to generate interest among youth once more in traditional arts and crafts of Kashmir could consequently generate more employment and income opportunities given the fact that traditional arts and crafts of Kashmir are also major sources of attraction for tourists in Kashmir. Like all weather tourism the traditional arts and crafts can also be changed into an all weather trading activity in Jammu & Kashmir. Like tourist stake holders local artisans also deserve greater attention for the purposes of reviving the pristine glory of traditional arts and crafts of Kashmir Valley in pursuit of a bigger objective of the economic empowerment of the skilled youth of Jammu & Kashmir.
