Wanted: Jobs

Shakeel-ur-Rehman discusses rampant joblessness in an area flaunting wealth

(Syed Shakeel-ul-Rehman, 32, was born in Qazipora, Tangmarg. He did his schooling at the Government Middle School in Katipora and at the Government Higher Secondary School in Chandilora, both in the Tangmarg Tehsil. He graduated in Social Work from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), being the first Kashmiri student to graduate with that major. He subsequently did his post graduate diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from the same University. He has taken specialized courses in computer hardware and software technology. He worked as a columnist and correspondent for the Greater Kashmir daily newspaper until 2005 and is currently the Opinion Editor of the Kashmir Images daily newspaper. He also anchors Doordharshan Kendra Srinagar's live phone-in show called, "Hello DD" since April 2005. Mr. Shakeel-ur-Rehman holds the distinction of having interviewed prominent personalities in all major fields and walks of life, probably more than any other Kashmiri journalist.)

Wanted Jobs

Given the situation in the job market out here, most of the Kashmiri youth are forced by circumstances to take up occupations which are rarely up to their satisfaction. It is no secret that unemployment in a place leads to wasting of valuable human resource.

The problem with our system is that it is flawed. Our educational institutions unfortunately still follow the pattern devised by Lord Macualay which was intended to produce clerks. This system has become obsolete and needs an urgent overhaul. While the government should take up the overhauling job, the youth on their part should enroll in some classes imparting professional knowledge or work part time to gain experience.

Unemployment is a grave curse. If we look at the situation in Kashmir, the problem of joblessness would look bleaker than otherwise projected. The problem of unemployment has in a way aggravated over the years. The valuable human resource is not being put to proper use. This is pure wasting of the youthful energy.
The non utilization of human resource capital that we have available in our state has resulted in adversity, poverty, slow rate of economic growth and a general restlessness in the society. According to one analysis by the year 2010 over 60 per cent of the unemployed will come from the educated class. So far the majority of the unemployed labour force has been educated or semi literate that is absorbed mainly by the public sector enterprises or in agriculture.

Unless the government changes its strategy, the educated unemployed would be the single largest causality of the new millennium. Admittedly, one of the basic factors for the growing joblessness in the state is the unchecked growth in population. The teeming population means more mouths to feed and more hands to seek jobs. So apart from addressing the problem of growing population, the powers that be also need to address the attendant problem of joblessness.

Another important way of addressing the growing joblessness is to drastically overhaul the existing system of education. As a matter of fact today’s educational system has lost its relevance because it fails to conform to the requirements in the present scenario. New teaching techniques have to be introduced with emphasis on practical training. Through such training, students would gain an in depth knowledge of the subject and would also gain confidence once they venture into the job market.
Apart from acquiring practical skills, the youth should try to start business ventures of their own. Setting up one’s own business would help solve unemployment problem in Kashmir in a big way. But for this to actually materialize, our banks will have to come forward. In the past couple of years what we have seen is that most of our lending institutions didn’t come forward with proper lending facility. If this aspect of the problem is also addressed besides other responsible factors, Kashmir’s jobless would surely find some work.