Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Aug 12
The Youth National Conference (YNC) on Wednesday criticised the summoning of young people to police stations ahead of Independence Day celebrations, urging the administration not to further alienate the region’s youth.
The YNC raised the issue at a programme held at the National Conference (NC) headquarters in Srinagar to mark International Youth Day.
The meeting was presided over by Provincial Youth President Mushtaq Mir and attended by NC Provincial President Showkat Mir. Party workers also felicitated newly constituted YNC district committees across Kashmir.
Speakers expressed concern over what they described as the summoning of people, particularly young people, to police stations ahead of August 15 and called on the Lieutenant Governor’s administration not to “push Kashmiri youth to the wall”.
Showkat Mir said youth empowerment, expanding opportunities and improving the lives of young people had historically been central to the NC’s political agenda.
He cited free education initiatives under previous NC governments as an example of policies that, according to him, expanded access to education and created opportunities for children from poorer and middle-class families.
Mir urged young people to contribute to the protection of democratic values, secular traditions, social justice and people’s rights.
He said unemployment, drug abuse, shortages of skills and limited employment opportunities required coordinated action by the government and society.
Mir welcomed government initiatives aimed at promoting self-employment and said greater emphasis was needed on entrepreneurship and skill development alongside government employment.
The meeting described the ongoing recruitment process for 25,000 government jobs during the current year as an important step.
The YNC said it would continue raising issues affecting young people and seek to channel their skills and energy towards development, peace, social harmony and democratic values.
