Pulwama aftermath: Kashmiris believe education could be key to bringing peace in the valley
Life in J&K has been in disharmony for a week now, something the residents are familiar with. DNA speaks to locals and Kashmiris who say to achieve comity in the long run, 'education' is, possibly, the way to go
When the sun sets in the Kashmir Valley, it seems like heaven steps down for a while. The misty-mineral hues on the rippling Dal lake, the aroma of walnut wood, the snow-capped mountains gleaming under the peach sun – all seem ethereal. For the past few days though, heaven seems to have taken a bit of a detour. The whiff still lurks and the mountains continue to glisten but the warmth is missing.The Pulwama episode has brought in an extra chill in the air for Kashmiris. More for the youth, than others. The fact that the Pulwama suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar was only 20, the country was quick to paint every Kashmiri youth with the same brush. Kashmiri students studying in other states had to find the shortest route to safe hideaway and for those back home, it was just distasteful.Various governments have initiated schemes to get Kashmiri children and youth en route to an academic orientation. The logic being that if youth have many irons in the fire, negative taxis will be kept at bay. After all, according to the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, the last recorded figures (in 2014), the school dropout rate in J&K was a mighty 25 per cent."It is true that the dropout rate in J&K is very high. And I agree that education is a good way to bridge that," said Zia Ul Haq, Senior Assistant Professor at the Central University of Kashmir. He added, "Contrary to what is perceived outside J&K, the number of people and youth who get radicalised is very small. The youth in our state have dreams like any other. (See box for details of some of the education schemes)
Also Read: Youth need jobs, training & safety
Also Read: Against all odds...DNA also spoke to a few who left the state in search of greener pastures. Imran Tantray (25), from Poonch, who had to drop out of school because of personal issues, came to Mumbai and secured a job in a car rental company. "The main issue back home is joblessness. If you are educated, the options are few, if you are not, they almost do not exist," he said. Akram Thakur belongs to a family of Army and police officers but could not make it to any of the government exams. He came to Mumbai and now works in a private firm. "Government jobs should open in big numbers in J&K. That will really help," he said.There is so much that can be written about Jammu and Kashmir, fondly and rightfully called as the 'Paradise on Earth'. For now, solving the job issue seems to be paramount. Government schemes and people's initiatives could make a difference. This Paradise needs to be regained.