Srinagar: Past three years have changed the lives of youth in Jammu and Kashmir as they have been provided with ample opportunities and choices to shape-up their careers. J-K youth turning their backs toward stone pelting and terrorism and saying no to Pakistan-sponsored violence have added new dimensions to their lives.

After August 5, 2019--when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J-K's special status and divided it into two Union Territories--30,000 youth have been provided with government jobs, 5.2 lakh youngsters have turned entrepreneurs, while 5.5 lakh women have got associated with the self-help groups and are eking out decent livings.

The government has been offering vast scope for self-employment, both in the manufacturing and service sector, and helping young entrepreneurs with training, credit and technical inputs to create employment opportunities in a decentralized manner.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a Rozgar Mela in J-K through video conferencing and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha handed over 3000 appointment letters to youth.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the event through virtual mode, said: "Now is the time to leave the old challenges behind and take full advantage of the new possibilities. I am happy that the youth of J-K are coming forward in large numbers for the development of their state and the people."

PM Modi stressed the need to develop new thinking for the fast-paced development of J-K. He urged the new recruits to make transparency their priority while serving J-K Government.

Youths are the strength of Jammu and Kashmir as the government has taken numerous steps to empower them in every field. Many initiatives have been taken to create supportive infrastructure, schemes and policies for entrepreneurship and self-employment.

As of date, J-K youth are working in different sectors with a pursuit of excellence through determination and hard work. Their dedication and sincerity have laid the foundation of a vibrant society, which has kept the wheel of peace, progress and prosperity moving.

Youth in J-K have become agents of change. They have chosen the path which leads toward success. The progressive mindset of J-K youth has left the terror bosses sitting in Pakistan annoyed. They are unable to digest that J-K's generation next is least interested in their agenda of separatism and sedition.

Their propaganda is finding no takers. Even the indoctrination technique is not working.

Pakistani stooges in Kashmir who till 2019 used to misguide the youth by offering them money to pelt stones and stage protests are either languishing in jails or have said goodbye to separatism as the noose has been tightened around them.

The government has laid emphasis on addressing the issue of unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir and the various centrally sponsored schemes have helped the youngsters to become self-reliant and independent. In 'Naya J-K' youth don't run after government jobs anymore as new avenues have opened up for them.

The steps that have been taken by the Centre during the past three years have changed J&K's scenario completely.

In a new setup guns, grenades and bombs, gifted by Pakistan to J-K people to run after an illusion called 'Azadi,' have become irrelevant as the youngsters have realized that Kashmir has lost three generations since 1990 and it cannot afford to lose another generation. They are grabbing the chances and the opportunities that are coming their way and are playing a pivotal role in foiling the designs of Pakistan and the terrorist handlers sitting across the Line of Control.

J-K youth refusing to become a part of the three-decade-long proxy war being fought by Pakistan has left the neighboring country with limited options. It's somehow trying to keep terrorism alive in J-K by sending arms, ammunition and IEDs through drones and by roping in the criminals in North India to smuggle these into Union Territory, to disrupt its march on the path of development and prosperity.

The dwindling local support to the terrorists in the Himalayan region has led to the terror networks becoming defunct. J-K youth are taking part in sports, cultural events and other activities. They have turned the tables on the terror bosses by opposing the gun culture which Pakistan managed to keep alive in the erstwhile princely state for 30 years.

The youth have understood that New Delhi wants them to live their lives peacefully and do something big in their lives, while Pakistan wants them to follow the path of destruction that ends up in a graveyard.

The indifferent attitude of the J-K youth has led to the revival of terror training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and there are reports that the terrorists are planning to make major infiltration attempts before the snowfall occurs and winter arrives completely in Kashmir.

The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), removing Pakistan from its 'grey list' has reportedly provided a chance for terrorist groups to regroup and plan something big in J-K.

The FATF commonly referred to as the world's "terrorism financing watchdog," which works to ensure that the flow of money in the global financial system are not misused to fund terrorist activities, has lifted sanctions after four years with the hope that Pakistan would do the course correction and behave like a civilized nation. But it seems that after FATF delisting Pakistan wants to go back to its old tricks.

The neighbouring country seems in no mood to end the proxy war. It wants uncertainty and chaos to return to J-K and terrorists across the border seem to be waiting for a chance to sneak in.

The youth in J-K is unlikely to become a part of the terror groups as they are busy in their lives and don't want to get involved in any sort of disruption. When a common man in J-K compares India with Pakistan, he is easily able to differentiate between a well-wisher and his enemy.

There is every possibility of new groups entering J-K and foreign terrorists outnumbering the locals in the coming days but the hard fact remains that even if the foreigners manage to sneak into J-K they won't find it easy to survive without local support.

New Delhi is keen on building the lives of J-K youth, while Pakistan seems determined to ruin their lives and this stark reality has already dawned upon J-K natives, who want to live in peace and participate in all the activities that are aimed at empowering them.