The Narendra Modi government is looking to “engage” Kashmir’s alienated youth in showcasing their talent through various TV shows. Public broadcaster Doordarshan is planning to launch regional versions of popular reality shows like Kashmir Got Talent, Kashmir Idol, Shabash Kashmir, and the second season of Kaun Banega Crorepati’s spinoff.
ThePrint asks: Is Modi govt’s Kashmir youth outreach with KBC & Kashmir Idol innovative or simplistic?
Kashmiri youth need some avenues to channelise their creative energies but there aren’t enough means
Sunil Sethi
Spokesperson, Jammu and Kashmir BJP
Such programmes and initiatives are important to reach out to the people of Kashmir. Of course, the Modi government is well aware that this cannot be a final solution to the conflict in Kashmir, but it is most definitely a step towards it.
This isn’t the first time the Modi government is reaching out to Kashmiri youth. Over time, the region’s young population has begun to understand the sheer futility of militancy and violence. But they need some avenues to channelise their energy but there aren’t too many ways. The cinema halls have been shut for the past nearly three decades and there are minimal sports activities. Therefore, it becomes important to give the youth some platforms to engage themselves in.
Unless we do that, there will always be a risk of their energies being misused or exploited by those with vested interests. And so, such outlets like the KBC or Kashmir Got Talent are necessary to keep the hopes high. Kashmir Idol and the live telecasts of football matches played by the Srinagar-based club Real Kashmir also become essential in this outreach initiative. Not only does this help inspire them, but also motivate them to pursue their own talents.
PM Modi is reaching out to the entire world while Kashmiris wait for him to talk to them
Waheed Para
President, PDP Youth Wing
Programmes like regional KBC are not unique to Kashmir; they exist across the country. So, in no way can these programmes be seen as political initiatives. It is commendable that the Modi government is taking interest in the youth of Kashmir but Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself needs to reach out to the people of Kashmir. The sheer emotional discontent among the Kashmiris is too high and people expect PM Modi to send out a positive message to them after the huge mandate he has won.
These things may only be optics because a strong political message is missing. Kashmir has a 75 per cent youth population and there’s a sense of loss and defeat over the constant witnessing of deaths and funerals.
People in Kashmir are waiting for PM Modi to talk to them. Modi is reaching out to the entire world and commenting on issues of global crises. He wants India to play a central role in solving global issues but is failing to address a domestic conflict that has existed for far too long. Of course, PM Modi and the BJP enjoy people’s mandate and so no one will object to these initiatives he is taking. But while these initiatives are important, they are not addressing the problem.
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This TV campaign is governmentality at its crudest – neither innovative nor simplistic. It is ethical bankruptcy
Siddiq Wahid
Senior Fellow, CPR and former VC, Islamic University, Kashmir
The Modi government reaching out to the youth of Kashmir is at best a crude attempt to lure minds by appealing to greed and vanity that adolescents are known to experience as part of their development. It is governmentality that likes to believe as if the Kashmiri youth have no memory, no history and have lost the will to resist. As if they are tabula rasa, “clean slate”, ready to be written on anew. The shows may get good viewership; applications for participation may be many and fun will be had by more.
However, the total number of participants and viewers will represent a very small portion of Kashmiri youth. And even this small portion will return to schools next morning after the show. They will still be faced with uncertainty about their future and be concerned whether the day will be peaceful; they will meet colleagues who have been blinded, and their faces pock-marked by shotgun pellets.
Some faceless advisers of the Modi regime have clearly advised the targeting of young minds (13 to 15 years) through television that magnifies the price of pyrrhic victory and the value of nothing. This campaign is governmentality at its crudest – neither innovative nor simplistic. It is ethical bankruptcy.
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Kashmiris can’t always relate to national TV soaps so these local versions will be a welcome change
Mehak Zubair
RJ, Radio Mirchi, Kashmir
Anything that provides a platform to the Kashmiri youth and acts as a stress-reliever for the people of Kashmir is a welcome change. As someone who works in the radio industry, I regularly come across extremely talented people who lack platforms to showcase their talent. So, in a sense, shows like KBC and Kashmir Got Talent are instrumental in not only bringing these talented individuals to light, but also rewarding them. They help provide a stage to people who are looking for avenues and these shows serve as the perfect platform for them.
Besides that, these shows also help provide relatable and realistic entertainment to the people of Kashmir. As Kashmiris, there are a lot of national TV daily soaps that we don’t often relate to, so this is a welcome change. I cannot stress on the importance of seeing relatable figures on screen. The more one watches unfamiliar content, the greater the chances of rise in alienation. The more hyper-local the content, the greater the relatability.
Moreover, these shows can also instil aspirations. A young Kashmiri who enjoys singing is likely to get inspired after watching common Kashmiri people singing and showcasing their talent on TV. This is bound to create a ripple effect.
By Fatima Khan, journalist at ThePrint.
One needs to listen to the interviews of the people who are assiduously and systematically bringing Afghanistan into mainstream sports at international level. Such initiatives, though soft, have the potential to become potent instruments of positive change.
One small facet of a very complex problem.