Srinagar , Sep 10: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the ongoing International Film Festival J&K (IFFJK) in Kashmir could open a new avenue of employment for local youth saying the government was working to equip young people with skills required by the film industry.
Talking to reporters at Gupkar, CM Omar said efforts were being made to train local youth in areas such as camera work and film production so that they could secure opportunities in the growing industry.
“You will definitely get a chance, but a new series of employment can start here,” he said.
The CM said that the government was, from the first day of the festival, looking at ways to help local youth enter the film industry.
He said that local youngsters would be encouraged to undertake courses in camera work, production and other technical aspects of filmmaking, enabling them to get opportunities to work in the sector.
On a protest by a Kashmiri Pandit seeking accommodation, CM Omar questioned the basis of the demand, saying that accommodation had already been allotted to those eligible.
“Which Kashmiri Pandit is without accommodation? Not one of them is homeless,” he said.
The CM said the administration was ready to address the issue if anyone genuinely required accommodation, but criticised that people have a tendency to protest without sufficient reason.
“This has become a tradition to protest for no reason,” he said.
CM Omar said anyone still requiring accommodation should approach the administration, saying that those eligible had been allotted accommodation.
On the controversy surrounding the playing of the full stanzas of Vande Mataram at official functions, he said the administration was bound by statutory obligations and that the requirement applied across the country, not merely in Jammu and Kashmir.
The CM said official functions featuring the national anthem would also include the national song as required under the applicable law, arguing that the issue should not be turned into a controversy.
“We have never accepted Vande Mataram as a party. We will not accept it in the future either. But we will have to fulfil our legal and statutory obligations,” he said.
CM Omar also defended National Conference chief spokesman TanvirSadiq over remarks concerning the historical poverty of Kashmiris, saying the issue was documented by historians including Walter Lawrence.
He said Kashmir witnessed a period of severe poverty when people were trapped under the influence of landlords and other intermediaries, and “referring to that history did not warrant an apology.”
“This is a historical fact. But Kashmir has since progressed to a stage where families were educating their children and producing doctors and engineers,” the CM said. “Neither Tanvir nor any other party member needs to tender apology for what Tanvir said on poverty in Kashmir.”
He also accused the BJP and PDP of having a “common issue” and playing together on the controversy.
On the upcoming BRICS summit in Delhi, CM Omar said the government’s functioning would not be affected, saying that the Cabinet meets every month and that the government’s agenda could not be halted.
