Srinagar, June 18: Two youth from Yarmuqam village in Ganderbal district have embarked on a 900 kilometre foot march to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raise concerns over unemployment and rising drug abuse among the youth in Jammu and Kashmir.
The two youths, Khalid Hussain Shah and Suneer Ahmad Rajput, said they also intend to thank the Prime Minister for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Pahari community.
Speaking before commencing the journey, Khalid Hussain Shah said the march was aimed at drawing the Prime Minister’s attention to issues affecting the youth, particularly unemployment, which he described as a key factor behind the growing menace of drug abuse.
“We want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending ST status to the Pahari community. At the same time, we want to raise the issue of unemployment, which is affecting a large number of young people in Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said.
He said many educated youths and daily-wage workers in various Government departments continue to face uncertainty and hoped their concerns would be addressed if brought directly to the Prime Minister’s notice.
Shah also advocated for the development of tourism infrastructure in Ganderbal, saying several locations in the district have the potential to emerge as tourist destinations and generate employment opportunities for local youth.
Expressing hope of meeting the Prime Minister upon reaching the national capital, Shah said the two youths were prepared to undertake the arduous journey despite the prevailing heat.
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