Who Throttled Private Investment In Kashmir? Former JK DGP RR Swain Raises Questions That Kashmiri Youths Want To Ask
Has the private sector in Kashmir been deliberately throttled to sustain the monopolistic practices of some big business interests in the valley? Has the lack of private enterprise in Kashmir got intertwined with the agenda of separatist politics and extendedly, terrorism?
Is there a need to audit as to who is preventing the organic and symbiotic growth of the private sector in Kashmir? Who is stalling the opening up of economic opportunities for aspiring middle class Kashmiri youths under the false and fallacious pretext of protecting local interests?
These were among the questions raised by former Director General of J&K Police Mr RR Swain at the Chanakya Dialogue Series organized in New Delhi. Mr Swain, who chaired one of the sessions at the prestigious platform, put forth some extremely vital questions that must engage policy makers both at UT level and at the Centre.
Mr Swain was speaking on the subject, ‘Exploring the connections between social cohesion, inclusive growth and national security, framing and implementing policies.’
Youths Frustrated By Lack Of Economic Opportunities, Nobody Raises These Issues
It is rare for these extremely significant questions to be raised in the Kashmir context. Our youths are frustrated with the feudal political structures of Kashmir, in which the old truism fits well – the more things change, the more they stay the same.
In his address, the former DGP noted that Kashmir does not lack economic prosperity. Skilled and unskilled labour from various parts of the country flocks to Kashmir for employment despite the real risks in working there. “This does not mean that all youngsters of Jammu and Kashmir or in the valley have access to employment, especially of the type they are looking for,” said Mr Swain. He observed that most youths in J&K “desperately aspire for government employment even if it is contractual or temporary,” and pays less monthly salary than what is earned by semi-skilled labourers.
Our youths are frustrated with the feudal political structures of Kashmir, in which the old truism fits well – the more things change, the more they stay the same
Kashmir is a land of many opposites. It is also a place where the adversary nation spins narratives for the local target population in order to constantly discredit the Indian state. What the former DGP said regarding sluggish private investment in Kashmir merits close examination.
“There is enough anecdotal evidence available which I’m sure is likely to be corroborated through proper research to underline that a bloated government sector in Jammu and Kashmir could be the cause of the problem. Are we then looking at a situation where inclusive growth, especially that is sustainable, and the policies to enforce it may lie in the domain of examination of vested interests preventing growth of a vibrant private sector in Jammu and Kashmir?” Mr Swain questioned.
Failure To Effectively Counter Narrative Terrorism
The former DGP highlighted that even though the Indian state has made heavy investment in all sectors in Kashmir, it has been unable to effectively counter narrative terrorism of the adversary nation. “We are up against a highly developed, well-oiled narrative machine of the adversary which works 24/7 and bombards its target population, saying that breaking from the Indian Union will lead to Nizam e Mustafa – where there would be fairness, freedom from corruption and efficiency of governance.”
Mr Swain regretted that the Indian state and its instruments are perhaps losing out to the enemy in building and sustaining the correct narrative. “The utterly false narrative, for example, that no good can happen as long as J&K is a part of the Indian Union and extendedly nothing good has been done by the instruments of the Indian State for the people of JK and its corollary that nothing bad can happen at the hands of the soldiers of the Tehreek and Jihad has not been countered effectively,” Mr Swain noted.
The former DGP brought forth some significant statistics that merit attention. He stated that the government spends about 1 lakh crore rupees as government budget alone at the local level in Kashmir. In addition, there is the central government expenditure on Kashmir. The government sustains the livelihood of about 4 lakh employees and builds and maintains civic amenities in all sectors like education, health care, public infrastructure etc without any regional, caste or religious bias.
Despite this, he said, GOI has been losing the crucial battle of narratives in Kashmir. “There is a dire need to call the bluff of the adversary within the country and outside its borders,” he emphasized.
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