Hakeem Yaseen Seeks Monthly Support Package for Unemployed Youth, Demands Restoration of J&K Statehood

Calls for immediate reopening of Doodhpathri and Tosamaidan, says prolonged closure hurting Central Kashmir’s tourism economy

 

Raiyaar Khansahib, Budgam, August 18: President of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) and former Cabinet Minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen has urged the Central Government to announce a monthly special support package for unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir until adequate employment opportunities are created in the region.

 

Addressing a public rally at Raiyaar in Khansahib area of Budgam, Yaseen said the growing unemployment among educated youth requires immediate and sustained government intervention.

 

“The Central Government should announce a monthly special package for unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir till adequate employment opportunities are generated. Our educated youth cannot be expected to remain without livelihood for an indefinite period,” he said.

 

Yaseen also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir with dignity, saying commitments made by the Centre should now be honoured in letter and spirit.

 

“The promises made on the floor of Parliament should be honoured. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are looking towards the Government of India for restoration of statehood with dignity and fulfilment of its commitments. Statehood should be restored without further delay,” he said.

 

Referring to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s approach towards Jammu and Kashmir, Yaseen said Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly invoked Vajpayee’s vision of “Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat and Insaniyat.”

 

He said the principles of humanity, democracy and Kashmiriyat should be reflected in concrete policies and decisions concerning the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

 

“The time has come to fulfil the spirit of that vision. The promises made to the people must be honoured so that their wounds are healed and their faith in democratic institutions is strengthened,” Yaseen said.

 

Doodhpathri, Tosamaidan reopening sought

 

Yaseen called for the immediate reopening of Doodhpathri and Tosamaidan, saying their prolonged closure has severely affected tourism-dependent communities and the broader economy of Central Kashmir.

 

He said a formal request for reopening both destinations has already been submitted to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and urged the administration to take an early decision.

 

“Doodhpathri was closed temporarily, but the closure has continued, while Tosamaidan has remained shut for more than a year. This has affected the entire population dependent on tourism in these areas,” he said.

 

According to Yaseen, the closure has adversely affected pony owners, ATV operators, transporters, dhaba owners, hotel workers, small traders and other people whose livelihoods depend on tourism.

 

“These meadows are not just tourist landscapes. They are livelihoods. For pony men, ATV drivers, dhaba owners, hotel workers, transporters and small shopkeepers, Doodhpathri and Tosamaidan are sources of income,” he said.

 

He said prolonged restrictions had resulted in declining business activity, mounting debts and fewer employment opportunities for local youth.

 

Yaseen maintained that reopening the two destinations could provide a significant economic boost to surrounding villages and create employment opportunities closer to the homes of local youth.

 

“Doodhpathri and Tosamaidan can create thousands of jobs at the doorstep of our villages. They can attract tourists to new areas and ensure that tourism revenue reaches rural households,” he said.

 

Calls for decentralisation of tourism

 

The PDF president also called for decentralisation of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the benefits of the tourism economy should reach lesser-known destinations and rural communities.

 

“Tourism must not remain limited to a few circuits. We need to decentralise tourism and give every village blessed with natural beauty an opportunity for livelihood and development,” he said.

 

Yaseen said reopening Doodhpathri and Tosamaidan would not only revive local economic activity but also strengthen public confidence in the tourism potential of Central Kashmir.

 

He urged the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and the elected government to examine the issue from both humanitarian and economic perspectives and facilitate the resumption of tourism-related activities at the earliest.

 

“The administration has the power to turn despair into opportunity. Reopening these destinations can once again bring tourists, employment and economic activity to the villages of Central Kashmir,” he said.

 

Yaseen reiterated that the PDF would continue to raise issues concerning unemployment, livelihoods, tourism and the political and economic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

 

He appealed to the authorities to act without further delay on the reopening of Doodhpathri and Tosamaidan and address the concerns of unemployed youth, saying people need tangible action rather than assurances.