Communal forces diverting people's attention, alleges Farooq Abdullah

"When you ask questions with regards to rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, toll tax,  employment, augmenting health, educational facilities, they go mute. Diverting the attention of people from real issues is the agenda of the incumbent ruling dispensation," he said adding that incumbent  ruling dispensation “doesn't  care for the poor”.

Srinagar:National Conference (NC) President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday stated the youth in the Union Territory are “beginning to unite to demand for protection of their employment rights and protection of their unique cultural identity”.

The NC President made the comments while addressing a youth convention organised by the party Youth Wing at his Jammu residence. Interacting with the youth Farooq said that the youth are the “active change- makers, future influencers and important stake-holders of the future of Jammu and Kashmir”. Among others senior leader Khalid Najeeb Suharwardhy, YNC President, Jammu Aijaz Jan, District President Ramban Sajad Shaheen and Sheikh Bashir Ahmed were also present at the meeting, which was also attended by YNC Provincial, Zonal, and Block level functionaries.

Farooq said that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir are “finding themselves living in a region far more volatile, unstable and economically fragile” while referring to the Centre's abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state, on August 5, 2019 and subsequent division into J&K and Ladakh Union Territories. "The new domicile rules, outsourcing of jobs and contracts, withdrawing of already advertised posts, lingering regularisation of contracts, snail's pace of requirement by JKSSB, PSC, and inequitable termination policy have embroiled our educated and skilled youth with plethora of anxieties,” Farooq alleged.

While referring to the maiden J&K Real Estate Summit 2021 wherein the LG Manoj Sinha led J&K administration invited the real estate investors to invest in the UT, Farooq said, “Throwing open local real estate for second homes and summer homes for non-residents has further compounded the worries of our youth, triggered by the prevailing anti-youth policies”.

“Plight of Dogra, Pahari and Gujjar youths is no different from their Kashmiri counterparts. Job insecurity and diminishing employment avenues concerns the last educated young boy or girl living in Gurez as it concerns their counterparts in living in Doda, Bandipura, Rajouri, Sambha,"he said. Farooq said that the “communal forces are diverting people's attention from real issues after having failed to deliver on their promises” in a dig at the BJP.

"When you ask questions with regard to rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, toll tax, employment, augmenting health, educational facilities, they keep mum. Diverting the attention of people from real issues is the agenda of the incumbent ruling dispensation," he said adding that incumbent ruling dispensation “doesn't care for the poor”. “They have paid no heed to the issues of youth, farmers, unemployed doctors, vocational trainers, qualified surgeons, medical para medical degree holders and price rise of edible oil, kerosene, LPG, fuel and other edibles.

The cost of living has increased manifold since 2015. "Our mothers and sisters are cutting on their diet to feed their young ones. Farmers were despised and kept lingering on roads for nearly a year," he pointed out.

Asking the functionaries to launch “aggressive door to door campaign to apprise the people of the tricks the ruling dispensation is playing on them”, Farooq said the “doors of the party are open for those who want a platform to work for the protection of job, land and cultural rights of Dogras, Kashmiris, Paharis, Gujjars. Youth has to work with collectivism ,if it wants to secure it's future”.