Avtar Bhat
SRINAGAR, May 23: Fed up with 25 year long turmoil and terrorism, majority of Kashmiri youth crave for everlasting peace and want return of total normalcy in the Valley.
The turmoil, killings, cross firing and bandhs have turned the lives of people into a hell and they want an end to it once for all. The change in the peoples mindset is totally visible now as common Kashmiri favours peace and is not ready to pay heed to separatists whom he considers root cause of death and destruction during last 25 years of turmoil.
The cross section of Kashmiris feel that over two decade long turmoil has harmed their interests and given a lot of setback to their economy and development of the Valley. To save their kids from falling in the trap of militants and anti social elements many people have either sent their children outside the State or abroad for studies, training or service.
Ghulam Ahmed a Government employee in Rural Development Department in South Kashmir who has sent his two children for studies outside Valley said that people are now fed up with turmoil and to save their children from falling in the trap of militants they have sent them outside the State for studies, training or job. Thousands of Kashmiri youth are studying outside the Valley while some have gone abroad during last one decade now as no parent can afford to see that the career of their children is ruined after falling in the trap of militants.
Ahmed, while narrating the destruction and setback received by Valley’s economy during the turmoil said that people are now fed up with the gun culture and violence. The routine bandh calls given by separatists have brought the economy to a grinding halt over these years and created an uncertainty among the masses, he added.
Tufail Ahmed of Capital City Srinagar and an IT professional who is working in an MNC at Dubai was forced by his parents to leave Valley in 2008 after he participated in stone pelting during land row agitation and was arrested by police.
Tufail, who comes from a respectable middle class family was given a good thrashing by his parents for taking part in anti-social activity after he was bailed out from police custody. Realizing his mistake Tufail promised his parents that he will never take part in any such activity in future and will not provide them any chance for which his family would have to feel sorry.
Tufail, who had come from Dubai to participate in the marriage ceremony of his brother said that he took the decision that he will leave Valley and work abroad. “I left Kashmir and went Dubai where I got a job in an MNC. Now I have been selected by another company in Saudi Arabia and after leaving from here I will join the new company in another country”, he added.
Expressing his concern over the loss suffered by the people during the turmoil period he said, bandh calls have become a routine affair by separatists thereby adding to the woes of people. “My family was totally disturbed after separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani announced bandh calls and poll boycott recently fearing that they could not make essential purchases for marriage”. Tufail, who prayed for end of gun culture said militancy has become a cause of concern for the people in Valley now.
Kashmir was brought on the path of destruction by militants and Pakistan, said Mohammed Aasan a retired police officer whose son was killed by militants in 1999.
Aasan said that his son who was working in police telecom as constable was kidnapped by terrorists during the intervening night of August 25 and 26 in 1999 and his dead body was thrown at Bonigam Qazigund. His death gave a setback to family and we could not bear the tragedy. “Fearing further attack by militants I migrated from the South Kashmir village to Central Kashmir district of Budgam along with two kids of my son and other family members and since then we are putting at the same place”.
Aasan said, the 25 year period of turmoil was the worst phase of Kashmir history as large number of innocent people lost their lives, while lakhs became migrants.
Aashaq Hussian a graduate youth from Khan Sahib Budgam who is looking for a Government job said that youth in Valley suffered a lot over the years. Terming separatists as exploiters, he said their children are studying or have studied in prestigious educational institutions outside Valley while they misled the common Kashmiris.
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