Youth run during a recruitment drive in Anantnag on Wednesday. Tribune Photo: Amin War

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, September 21

The Army has today said that over 11,000 youth from the Kashmir valley have registered online for the recruitment process which commenced today from south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.“The response has been great. Some 11,500 youngsters have registered online to get recruited in the Army across Kashmir,” Brigadier JS Samyal, Deputy Director General, Recruitment, today told mediapersons here.He was at the Army camp at High Ground in Anantnag today to supervise the four-day recruitment process, which commenced today and will end on September 24.The second phase of the recruitment will be held at Bandipora in north Kashmir from September 29 and will end on October 2.Today, around 500 youth from Anantnag district turned up at the venue to get enrolled in the Army. The next three days will cater to aspirants from Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama districts of south Kashmir and Budgam district of central Kashmir.“Of the 11,500 online registrations, more than 6000 are from the southern region of the Valley. Besides, we have kept the recruitment rally open and youth aspiring to be part of the Army can walk in,” Samyal said.Pertinently, the south Kashmir region has been the epicentre of the ongoing unrest, which started after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.Since then more than 80 protesters have been killed and over 12,000 have been injured during clashes between the security forces and protesters.The youth who had turned up for recruitment today were upbeat about joining the Army. While some of them see this as a chance to serve the country, others look at it purely as a job opportunity in the wake of the overwhelming unemployment across the Valley.Zameer Ahmad (name changed), a youth from Kokernag in Anantnag district, said he was trained and prepared by the local Army unit in advance and he was sure he would be selected.“I am thankful to the Army for providing me this opportunity. I appeal to the youth to shun violence and give peace a chance. We should come forward and serve our country. Violence will fetch us nothing,” Ahmad said.Saleem, another aspirant from the Dooru area of Anantnag, said he was trying to earn a living and support his family. “I worked with a telecommunication company as a salesman. They have stopped paying me given the communication blackout imposed by the government. I have to do something and currently I don’t see many options available,” Saleem said. The Army, meanwhile, is expecting more youth to come forward to be a part of the force.

For some it’s patriotism, for others economics

• The 500 youth who had turned up for recruitment in Anantnag on Wednesday were upbeat about joining the Army. While some of them see it as a chance to serve the country, others look at it purely as a job opportunity in the wake of the overwhelming unemployment across theKashmir valley.