In a groundbreaking moment for Kashmir, first-time voters are making their voices heard, calling for urgent action on two pressing issues: unemployment and drug abuse. As the region experiences a surge of young voters participating in the electoral process, they are vocalising their demands for meaningful reforms and effective policies. The new electorate, energised by their role in shaping the future, is emphasising the need for economic opportunities and robust measures to combat the growing drug crisis that has plagued their communities. Their call for change highlights a shift towards a more proactive and engaged voter base seeking tangible improvements in their lives and environment.
#KashmirVotes #YouthVoice #UnemploymentCrisis #DrugAbuse #FirstTimeVoters #KashmirYouth #Election2024 #PolicyChange #EconomicOpportunity #DrugPrevention #VoterDemands #KashmirPolitics #YouthEngagement #SocialReform #KashmirFuture
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#KashmirVotes #YouthVoice #UnemploymentCrisis #DrugAbuse #FirstTimeVoters #KashmirYouth #Election2024 #PolicyChange #EconomicOpportunity #DrugPrevention #VoterDemands #KashmirPolitics #YouthEngagement #SocialReform #KashmirFuture
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NewsTranscript
00:00Voting is our fundamental right.
00:02If we vote for something, our first priority will be to generate employment.
00:07I don't think development will be enough until our youth are educated.
00:12Jobs are needed, construction is needed, roads are needed.
00:16All those qualities should be in one leader.
00:19There are too many educated kids here.
00:21If they don't get a job, they go straight to drugs.
00:23In Kashmir, we are fully dependent on government jobs.
00:26We have zero private sector.
00:28If the government wants, they should prepare a program on drug addiction
00:33so that our future is saved.
00:35We want those people to participate who are well-educated.
00:39No one has an education.
00:42Employment rate will increase.
00:44Development will happen.
00:46That's why we vote.
00:48We will vote on these issues.
00:49Employment, development, schools, hospitals and roads.
00:54That's all.
00:55Assembly elections are coming up.
00:57You are a first-time voter.
00:59On which issues will you choose a candidate and a party before voting?
01:07There are many unemployed youth in Kashmir.
01:11Videos of PhD scholars and dry fruits were viral on social media.
01:17The whole of Kashmir saw it.
01:19If we vote for something, our first priority will be to generate employment.
01:25If not the government, at least the private sector should develop enough to support the youth.
01:30So that our educated youth can settle in the private or government sectors.
01:36In Kashmir, we are fully dependent on government jobs.
01:39We have zero private sector.
01:41Even if we go to the private sector for an interview,
01:44we don't get the salary that a deserving candidate should get.
01:48We have very talented youth here.
01:52But we don't have the opportunity to utilize our talent.
01:55That's the first thing.
01:57Second, we need to develop.
02:00There are still many places that are underdeveloped.
02:03I saw a post recently, I think it was from the Gure side.
02:06They don't have electricity there yet.
02:09We need to connect these places with electricity.
02:13There should be good road connectivity.
02:15Electricity should reach them.
02:17Moreover, schools should be built there.
02:20Hospitals should be built there too.
02:22Recently, I visited Zojila.
02:24There was an accident there.
02:26They had to come to Sonamarak from there.
02:28If there was a hospital across Zojila,
02:31there would have been surgeons in the emergency department.
02:33They would have been saved.
02:35Until they cross Zojila and come to Sonamarak,
02:37there are many injuries.
02:41They can't be saved.
02:43We will vote on these issues.
02:45Employment, development, schools, hospitals and roads.
02:50That's all.
02:52Most of the youth here are on drugs.
02:54But we need to look at the root cause.
02:56Why are they on drugs?
02:58The main problem is that
03:00most of them are in depression.
03:02Due to depression, most of the youth
03:04look for a second option to get out of it.
03:08They have a second option, drugs.
03:10We need to address this first.
03:12Why are most of the youth on drugs?
03:14Why are they on drugs?
03:16We need to look at the root cause.
03:18Why are they on drugs?
03:20We need to look at the cause of the disease.
03:23Then we can treat the disease.
03:25We can't give a random dose to the disease.
03:27The main thing is that
03:29we need to look at the root cause.
03:31Why are the youth on drugs?
03:33Not only boys of Kashmir,
03:35I have seen girls of Kashmir
03:37who are addicted to drugs.
03:39The government needs to look at the root cause.
03:41Then we can address the problem.
03:44If we look at today's problems,
03:46we need development.
03:48Unemployment is increasing.
03:50The unemployment rate is increasing.
03:52The income of the unemployed youth
03:54is increasing every month.
03:56But if we talk about the elections
03:58for the unemployed youth,
04:00they have made it clear
04:02that they will bring development
04:04and change.
04:06I don't think that
04:08development will help
04:10until our youth
04:12is educated.
04:14Until we change the education system,
04:16we can't do anything.
04:18I have seen the manifesto
04:20of the political parties
04:22like PDP, NC
04:24and other independent parties.
04:26They have a manifesto of change.
04:28If they know about change,
04:30then there will be no development
04:32in the elections.
04:34There are issues in the youth.
04:36First, the unemployment rate is increasing.
04:38Second,
04:40the manifesto given
04:42after the elections
04:44is not a manifesto.
04:46The manifesto given
04:48by the political leaders
04:50is not a manifesto.
04:52They promise
04:54that they will do this and that.
04:56But they don't do anything.
04:58I would like to request
05:00that the drug problem
05:02should not increase.
05:04I have seen from South Kashmir
05:06that the drug problem is increasing
05:08In 2016, 2017 and 2018
05:10the drug problem was very less.
05:12Today, the youth
05:14are educated.
05:16Most of the youth
05:18are involved in this.
05:20If the government
05:22wants,
05:24then they should make a program
05:26about drug addiction
05:28so that our future is saved.
05:30As per my views and vision,
05:32if they want,
05:34they should give employment
05:36to the youth,
05:38establish private sector industries
05:40and other things
05:42so that the drug problem
05:44decreases.
05:46As per my vision,
05:48I am also an educated youth.
05:50I have seen that
05:52most of the youth
05:54are involved in this.
05:56The reason is that
05:58our political leaders
06:00are not promising us
06:02that they have problems.
06:04They are getting involved
06:06because of this.
06:08If I vote,
06:10as per the Indian Constitution,
06:12I have read that
06:14voting is our fundamental right.
06:16We can vote
06:18if we want.
06:20I can vote for PDP, NC
06:22or any other independent party.
06:24I have never
06:26voted for them.
06:28But if we
06:30vote,
06:32we will increase
06:34employment rate
06:36and development.
06:38That's why we vote.
06:40I request other educated youth
06:42to vote
06:44for the leader
06:46who will bring development
06:48and increase
06:50employment rate.
06:52These youth
06:54are educated
06:56but they are not getting jobs.
06:58That's why they are addicted to drugs.
07:00They will get jobs day by day.
07:02If they get jobs,
07:04they will get a good leader.
07:06A good parliamentary member
07:08will help them
07:10to fulfill their dreams.
07:12He should be of good quality.
07:14What qualities
07:16will you choose?
07:18If you vote,
07:20what qualities will you see?
07:22I want the youth
07:24to fulfill their qualities.
07:26They need a job.
07:28They need construction.
07:30They need roads.
07:32All these qualities should be in a leader.
07:34Mr. Basit,
07:36is this your first time voting for the assembly?
07:38Yes, sir.
07:40Mr. Basit,
07:42what are the issues
07:44that you will vote for?
07:46If you vote, what qualities will you see?
07:48First of all,
07:50I want to say that
07:52if an assembly election is going to take place,
07:54we should only
07:56vote for people who are well-educated.
07:58No one has an education.
08:00No one has an education.
08:02So, I want
08:04only those who have an education
08:06to participate in this election.
08:08The National Assembly has also formed a group.
08:10The Congress has also formed a group.
08:12So, I want
08:14only those people to vote
08:16who can get rid of drugs
08:18and get us jobs.
08:20The youth's expectation is
08:22that if we vote for someone,
08:24we should get a job.
08:26We should get a job
08:28if we are worried about water.
08:30We should get a job
08:32if we are worried about jobs.
08:34We should get benefits
08:36if we win any party.
08:38Unemployment is a big reason.
08:40If a child is addicted to something
08:42and he is sitting at home
08:44and he has no work
08:46and he is uneducated.
08:48There are many uneducated children here.
08:50They do drugs because they have no work.
08:52I don't know who will win.
08:54Congress, PDD, National
08:56I don't know who will win.
08:58But I want that
09:00whoever wins, we should get benefits from them.
09:02Mr. Ajay, Assembly elections
09:04are going to happen and you are a first-time voter.
09:06Yes, sir.
09:08If you vote,
09:10what should be your qualities?
09:12Sir, those who will
09:14get rid of unemployment,
09:16those who will give jobs,
09:18those who will get rid of
09:20poverty,
09:22those who will do good for the country,
09:24we are ready to vote for them.
09:26Sir, we are
09:28electioners
09:30and we expect
09:32that the candidates
09:34should work
09:36for the youth.
09:40In today's time,
09:42there is a lot of employment crisis.
09:44So,
09:46even if
09:48some of the
09:50employment drivers
09:52work,
09:56I would say
09:58there were security issues
10:00in them.
10:02So, sir, we
10:04expect
10:06that the candidates
10:08we elect
10:10should do their job well.
10:12So, all the
10:14employment drivers
10:16should do their job well
10:18and fulfill
10:20the vacancies
10:22in all the departments.
10:24Sir, if we see,
10:26the students
10:28are prone to depression
10:30because
10:32after graduation,
10:34they don't have
10:36any means to survive.
10:38For example,
10:40if we see,
10:42the students
10:44don't have many opportunities.
10:46If a student
10:48graduates,
10:50he should get
10:52some employment.
10:54But,
10:56if we see,
10:58students have to go abroad
11:00for employment.
11:04It has a lot of
11:06effect on society, sir.
11:08So,
11:10we expect
11:12that the candidates we elect
11:14should represent the public.
11:16They should
11:18convey the message of the public
11:20to the government.
11:22They should
11:24exploit the benefits
11:26for the youth
11:28and the overall society
11:30well.
11:32So, sir,
11:34we expect this.
11:36For first-time voters,
11:38drug abuse and unemployment
11:40remain two major issues
11:42that need immediate attention.
11:44With hope and optimism
11:46in their eyes, the young voters
11:48are expecting winds of change
11:50to blow in J&K
11:52as soon as the Union Territory
11:54gets a new government after October 8.
11:56In Srinagar,
11:58Izhar Ali for One India.