Skill development

Jobs for unskilled persons in these days are few and far between. The emphasis is on skills and skilled advancement. White colour jobs are no more within the reach of people without influence and without political support. But the life has to go on and people have to carve out their day to day living. Government is laying full emphasis on youth acquiring advance skills in any field and then becoming a specialist.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the Food Craft Institute at Nagrota in the outskirts of the city of Jammu. The Institute has got a new building and the authorities are planning for a course of one and half a year for students who are desirous of going in for food craft skill. Perhaps we did not have many avenues to develop food craft though we have a sound tourism industry in the State or at least in Kashmir valley and Ladakh. Jammu certainly is still far behind the other two regions in developing its tourist destinations.
Authorities believe that boys and girls skilled in food craft will find employment in tourist industry, and innumerable hotels and restaurants in the State and the country. That is true and in fact advanced skills are bound to provide more employment opportunities. Very few people know that food craft is a vast subject keeping in mind the vastness of the country and the varieties of food that are consumed in different states and regions.  As far as tourism industry in the state is concerned, we must be frank enough to admit that our standards of catering in tourist huts, restaurants and eateries are not up to the desired level. Much needs to be done to bring these to the international level. The varieties offered are inadequate and catering services are far below the international standard. It has to be remembered that the tastes have changed and many traditional cuisines are no more sustainable. This is owing to the development of a sense of healthiness among the people. More and more people are pandering to western type of food craft and this is bound to make impact on services.
It is not only the food craft in which skill is needed and it is not the only avenue for providing employment to the youth. There are hundreds of professions in which skills pay very well and our youth have got to pursue these. We find that in advanced countries like USA or Germany, a man is multi-skilled and hence an asset in the society. Actually, we need such skilled professionals amidst us and a time is fast coming when the new concept of skills will be owned by society.
We agree with the Chief Minister that the State tourism industry will receive a boost when food craft skilled manpower is available. It will enhance the catering service in hotels and restaurants.  Since emphasis has been laid on improving tourist industry in the State, we have to make it very clear that the tourist industry in the State needs first big conceptual change and second it also needs implementation of reforms. The conceptual change is that the authorities in power have to understand that not only Kashmir region but other two regions have to be adequately brought on the tourist map of India. Ladakh has tremendous potential for development of tourist industry but it needs planning, investment and proper administration. Even if tourism in Ladakh is to be privatized, that will not happen in vacuum. A system and a philosophy have to be there to develop privatized tourism. In Jammu much is said of exploring new tourist destinations but actually much less is done to really create or develop new destinations. Third conceptual change needed to be adhered to is that we should not depend on foreign tourists too much. National tourism is gaining ground now and more and more Indians are eager to travel and visit famous and popular places in the country to know more of our own land. This is a noble idea and needs to be cultivated thoroughly. We have more than 1.20 crore pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi every year. We call them pilgrim tourists because they not only have the blessings of the deity for visiting the holy cave they also enjoy the scenic beauty of the Trikuta Hills over which the shrine is located. Like that if more hill destinations are developed like Patni Top, Mantalai, Jai in Bhaderwah and a few places in Rajouri like the Mughal Road tourist destinations of Noori Chhamb, Bahram Galla and others, there would appear sea change in the tourist industry of Jammu. The will and the wisdom of developing these places should be there. What development in tourism can be there when even the Mubarak Mandi complex renovation and reformation are there for over a decade and no tangible results are in hand after spending so much of money? All that we emphasize upon is that mere wish of making Kashmir the paradise of international tourism will not do. It is what we do or have on the ground that matters.