People's Democracy

JAMMU & KASHMIR

JKDYF Fights for Rights of Youth

Majid Jehangeer

HELD at Srinagar on Wednesday, August 25, the third state conference of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Youth Federation (JKDYF), resolved to launch a powerful and sustained struggle against the anti-youth policies of the government and for the goal of achieving a dignified and frustration free life for the youth of the state. In their presentations, the federation’s president Mohammad Iqbal Wani and general secretary Arshad Hussain Baba highlighted the problems and challenges facing the youth the world over, and also those especially in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. They stressed that global security is at stake in the present unipolar world while regional conflicts have pushed millions of youth into unemployment and illiteracy. Most of the functionaries of the JKDYF alleged that the UPA government at the centre and the coalition government in the state have failed to address the burning issue of unemployment, which has intensified the frustration of the younger generations and led to the wastage of their valuable energies. Regarding the political issue of Jammu and Kashmir, the youth leaders described the history of Kashmir as an absurd story of the denial of democratic rights, broken promises and the inability of the successive governments to deal with the real and genuine issues faced by the people, especially the emerging and growing youth.

Professor Gull Mohd Wani of Kashmir University and media personality M Y Ganaie Nairang, while addressing the audience, dealt with the general problems of the youth the world over and said that most of these problems are the direct result of the neo-liberalism and globalisation let lose by the imperialist forces. He discussed in detail the new world order which caters to the designs of the bourgeoisie and the imperialist countries. He asserted that the youth in Kashmir have taken a conscious decision to shift from violence to non-violence and this development has provided the government of India with an opportunity to deal with the alienated youth of Jammu and Kashmir. M Y G Nairang explained the role of the youth in the social transformation and said that the tremendous energy possessed by the youth should be channelised for revolutionising the socio-political systems and that the youth should not seek petty concessions but should struggle for their well deserved and genuine rights. He cautioned that the vested interests, capitalistic classes and the world imperialism are conspiring to mislead the youth and waste their energy by involving them in senseless violence, drug addiction and social waywardness. He exhorted the youth to maintain a sense of proportion while utilizing their energy for struggle and adopt stern, but democratic means.

Gh Nabi Malik, general secretary of the J&K Kissan Tehreek, while greeting the conference, assured that his organisation would extend wholehearted support to the JKDYF in its struggle for the realisation of its genuine demands.

In the conference, the delegates who had come from different parts of the state took some important organisational decisions and approved an action plan for the future. A state executive committee of the federation, with 31 members, was elected on the occasion. Advocate Arshad Hussain Baba was elected as the new president while Abdul Rashid Itoo was chosen as the general secretary.

Resolutions regarding unemployment, corruption, human rights and reforms in education were adopted in the conference. An appeal was made to all the youth organisations, irrespective of their political affiliations, to come forward on a joint platform and fight for the genuine demands of the youth. The conference also elected eight delegates for participation in the ninth national conference of the Democratic youth federation of India (DYFI) which is scheduled to be held at Bengaluru from September 11 to 15, 2012.