Mehraj ud din
Politics is the “art of the possibilities” and primarily works for the fruitful assistance of the society. Since times immemorial, politics is considered as an ethical construct for serving the ruled by the ruler. What stands contritely is the public role of the “authorities of power” and their parochial rotten politics. Paradoxically, it seems that the institution of politics has lost its relevance in the contemporary discourse where personal monetary pursuits are given precedence on serving the nation. Kashmir is no exception to the myriad gimmicks exonerated from the seats of power. The role of political parties in Kashmir has always remained ambiguous and treacherous which left Kashmiri people bereft of any hope from the politicians of Kashmir. Gramsci beautifully says “politicians are the masters of injustice”. How awful politicians becomes when the tide of God reach to the Pharoahs of politics and they start implying multiple hypocrisies to safeguard their thrones (symbols) of power. One of the Prophet procrastination deems fit on Kashmir when he said “the masses will be like their rulers if they are pious you find their ruler pious as well and if you find the ruler corrupt then the masses will be like the same”. The indispensable political and economic situation which evolved out of occupation vis-à-vis unemployment has left the youth of Kashmir bereft of any good future prospects even though having highest degrees rotten in the dusty shelves of their rooms. In this terrible situation, we find employees begging for enhancement in their retirement age and especially bureaucrats and professors following the suit even though their accounts are already pouring money out of their accounts. The clean sweep of NC in the parliamentary elections forced them to use every card left in their hands and one among them was enhancing the retirement age of employees.
This decision will leave a huge impact on the unemployed youth of Kashmir who are filling the employment forms wherever they see an opportunity. The continuous negligence on the part of government and Kashmiri society will deter the growth of this nation and psychologically corrupt the youth of Kashmir. One of the outcomes will be a moral and social devastation in the form of drug addiction, corruption and social alienation. There is only one thing which dignifies your existence as humans is your living “conscience” and if your conscience is dead then you cease to be called as humans and more likely you cease to be called as Muslims. Sometimes it seems that we might ask the government in future that we have a right to work till we are breathing our last breath.
I met various people who are working in the government sector and asked their opinion about it and their response was that government should not make it 60 but it should be 55 so that the young people can get opportunities in the government sector because they are the one who are suffering most while having double the qualification we have and it craves their heart when they see these qualified and education youth jobless. I think there might surely be a huge number of unemployed youth sitting in the homes of those persons who asked for this extension but their conscience seems to be dead when they behave so selfishly. It is an appeal from my side to all those people whose conscience is still alive and can think and analyze what they asked for is right or wrong at least on moral grounds. The meager extension in the employment age is a slow poison which will permeate social and moral corruption.
Mehraj ud din is a doctoral candidate at Shah-i-Hamadan Institute of Islamic Studies and can be mailed at [email protected]
