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| Home Ministry Survey: The Positive Aspect | | K Leaders Exposed | | Neha
JAMMU, Jan 30: Notwithstanding the exclusion of Jammu and Ladakh from the Union Home Ministry-sponsored survey on media impact on Kashmiri youth, there is much in the survey that can be construed as something positive. The survey has put things in perspective to an extent and thoroughly exposed the Kashmiri extremists like Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
As reported, the survey was conducted by the New Delhi-based Institute of Research on India and International Studies (IRIIS) in the aftermath of street demonstrations and violent police-crowd clashes in Kashmir in 2010 which left more than 100 people, mostly young, dead and hundreds of other wounded. The CRPF and police also suffered in the process initiated at the behest of the anti-India forces. Kashmir had witnessed stone-pelting and attacks on the CRPF camps and police stations on an unprecedented scale in the 2010 summer. The survey was conducted under the leadership of Delhi University Professor and Honorary Director of the IRIIS Navnita Chadha Behera between January and December 2011. The survey team interviewed 1300 Kashmiri youth to ascertain their political views, as also to find their attitude towards Geelani, Mirwaiz and others of their ilk. The main findings were made public at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi, on January 27 in the presence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
What did the findings suggest? As per the survey, 67 per cent of those interviewed described "corruption" among the three top most problems". 31 per cent put it at "rank one", 21 per cent at "rank two" and 13 per cent at "rank three". As for "human rights violation" allegedly by police and security forces, 15 per cent of those interviewed "rated them at rank one, 15 per cent at rank two and 18 per cent at rank three". In other words, the findings suggested that 67 per cent of the youth in Kashmir described corruption as one of three major problems and 48 per cent put human rights violations at the top.
Other findings were: "34 per cent accorded "top priority" to employment; "28 per cent" to education; "32 per cent" expressed concern over "militarization" of Kashmir; 21 per cent voted for "Kashmir's political status"; 72 per cent rejected the gun culture, 7 per cent held the view that gun was "an effective option for achieving political aspirations".
Other important findings were (a) one per cent of the Kashmiri youth believed that Kashmir's merger with Pakistan was the only lasting solution (read followers of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and similar other Kashmiri leaders); (b) one per cent expressed full faith in India and voted for the state's complete merger with India; and (c) 54 per cent suggested "azadi" as a solution to the Kashmir problem. Interestingly, by "azadi" they meant many things. 20 per cent of them described "azadi" as "political rights", 11 per cent said "azadi" meant "freedom from India"; 8 per cent described "azadi" as "sovereign status for Kashmir, including Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir"; and for 10 per cent "azadi" meant "separate and independent State" (read Kashmir Valley). Five per cent said they did not vouch for 'azadi" and two per cent did not give any interpretation of "azadi". 30 per cent of those interviewed favoured "partition of Kashmir".
12 per cent of them said that they had exercised their franchise and only five per cent of those interviewed said that they worked with and for one party or the other. Only 9 per cent of those Kashmiri youth who were interviewed admitted that they the "followers of one or the other faction of Hurriyat Conference" (read Tehrik-e-Hurriyat and Hurrriyat Conference-Mirwaiz). This should expose both Geelani and Mirwaiz and establish that they only represent a microscopic minority. In fact, the findings have only vindicated those who consistently urged the authorities to isolate them and bring them to justice for the crimes they have committed against humanity and Indian State to send a right signal across the Kashmir Valley.
The survey does not throw any light on the acceptance or otherwise of the autonomy doctrine of the NC and the self-rule formula of the PDP. All the reports which have emanated from New Delhi during the past two days are silent on this count. One report suggested that "neither greater autonomy or nor self-rule had been flagged as an option" by those who conducted the survey. "It is not clear whether the definition options were the creativity of the enumerators or these had been randomly given out by the youth," this report said.
In any case, the survey suggested two clear things. One was that an overwhelming majority of the Kashmiri youth dislike violence. The other was that the Kashmiri youth, like the Kashmiri leadership, is a divided and confused lot. Another finding deserves attention and the finding is that while 12 per cent of those interviewed said that they had exercised their franchise, only five per cent of them said that they worked with and for one party or the other. This appears unbelievable, but this, according to the survey team, is a fact. The general impression was that the Kashmiri youth are highly political.
One should hope that the Home Ministry would take cognizance of these findings and act in the best interest of the country. The best thing to do would be to isolate and bring to justice those challenging the very institution of the state. Besides, the authorities should hold a comprehensive survey in Jammu to find what the youth of Jammu province want. Such an exercise is imperative. |
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