Igniting Aspirations

It is an exciting time to be alive! I have personally spoken with many who lost their dear ones during the 15-years of tumult but they all seem to echo the same sentiment: "Enough is enough let peace be given a chance." Everyone agrees that it should be 'youth specific'. But we know for sure that today's young generation wants to play a positive role in extricating the State from the intractable quagmire created by the power hungry political wolves of yesterday and carry it to an era of prosperity and peace .

With each new scene of killing in Kashmir, outrage has intensified against the paramilitary forces, raising the prospect of a backlash and washing all gains made towards peace and prosperity. Although the Prime Minister has urged the forces to use restraint, the Chief Minister has strongly defended the military retaliation as a reasonable response to attacks, a position increasingly at odds with the political parties that see a deadly overreaction.It seems that if the killings and atrocities drag on, as appears likely, it could leave India more isolated than at any time since the tumult began 17 years ago. In the long run the situation could cement the perception that India is so anti-Kashmir that a new generation of youth will grow up perceiving Indians as enemies. Some of the overheated rhetoric that we've lost our leadership in the world, is just completely ridiculous, I personally feel that the present politicians comprising leaders like Omar Abdullah, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq and Sajad Lone among others are genuinely committed to find a solution that lasts. They all have a very straight forward attitude and have the courage to call a spade a spade. They have certain credibility among the people and they cannot afford to squander. Gone are the days when a leader would feed the audience with slogans or utopian dreams. People want results now and they don't have the patience to wait until tomorrow. As they say, things happen when they have to happen. Could it be that providence desires the youth to bring about a revival of what has been destroyed?According to the present configuration of our population we have 60% in the age group 25 to 30, around 30% in their 50s and the remaining 10% in the age group of 60 or above.

In the past it is generally the later 10% that has held the reins and created a mess partly because of a rusty mindset or partly because they don't understand the global compulsions. Comparing today's youth with their parents when they were young or their grandparents when they were children, the lives of today's youth have become more and more circumscribed. The constant social pressures and daily killings have made it impossible to socialize. We have lost our individual life and become virtual prisoners within our homes putting a stop on all physical activity. We live in a selfish place where we talk for the sake of talking? We usually don't write about something that brings laurels to this part of the world instead we go on writing against issues that are good for many but disliked by few. Our current paradigm for Kashmir issue is much like an entertainment show. We come in to a comfortable auditorium and watch others do the 'Drama.' And when it finishes, we clap and leave. So we have to start now, Kashmir is our problem and we have to find out an acceptable solution. Why can't Kashmiri leaders of all shades of opinion come on one stage and then arrive at an agreeable solution? Unless all the political parties, repeat 'all', converge on a solution you will continue finding faults with Congress, APHC, NC and vice versa.

I think we have reached a stage where we don't want to see Kashmir turning into another Iraq, Afghanistan or LebanonThere seems to be recognition worldwide now that today's youth are better informed, are highly focused and productive and are better suited to deal with the problems around them. There is a greater realization with the youth of today that worldwide they sow the seeds but the harvest goes to a generation that only makes speeches. There is a resolve that it is he who has to decide his future and a world he wants to live in. In this new world order no one can afford to ignore the aspirations of youth and its dreams. Today's youth have only seen strife, death, destruction and pain. It is only the youth who have been used as fodder. How many people in their 60s have lost their lives? The bottom-line is that today's youth want 'peace'.

The entire Kashmir leadership has a moral obligation not to allow the peace loving people to become hostages of enemies of peace. In a vibrant democracy, people throw up new leaders. They don't have to be thrust on the people. That way we can take pride that we who are discussing the Kashmir imbroglio here belong to a generation that does not have much of excess baggage on our shoulders. We were not a witness to the partition holocaust or the partition itself. We have only been experiencing the pain and suffering that the partition brought to the entire region. And finally, the momentum is on, now is the time to be futuristic in our approach and believe in the concept of, "give and take", we cannot dictate terms to countries like India or Pakistan but we can be flexible and with a united approach, we can help in the process of Confidence Building Measures to lead to an ultimate solution of Kashmir, of the both sides. Youth cannot and should not be ignored?