800 Kashmiri youths appear for Army exam amid unrest

Despite shutdown called by the sepratists against the killing of Hizb-ul-Muajhideen commander Sabzar Bhat, hundreds of Kashmiri youth participated in the Army recruitment examination on Sunday.

A defence spokesperson said 799 candidates out of 815 appeared for common entrance written examination for selection of Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks at Pattan in north Kashmir's Baramulla district while only seven candidates out of 500 missed the exam at Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre in Srinagar.

"These youth have chosen for a brighter future," he said. The written examination is held after due registration, physical tests and medical tests. Successful candidates, who qualify in these three stages, only can undertake the written examination.

While sepratists have called for a valley-wide shutdown on Sunday and Monday against the killing of Sabzar, authorities had imposed curfew-like restrictions in several parts of Kashmir to maintain law and order.

However, authorities had said that the admit cards of students appearing in competitive examinations would be treated as curfew passes, while the staff posted as invigilators can use their identity cards as curfew passes.

Despite militant threats and growing confrontation between a section of Kashmiri youth and security forces, thousands of young boys and girls are increasingly applying for jobs in army, police and para-military forces. Earlier, this month, over 67,000 candidates applied for nearly 700 sub-inspector posts in a recruitment drive of Jammu and Kashmir police.

The massive participation of Kashmiri youth in the recruitment process comes despite diktats of Hurriyat and militants to boycott jobs in security agencies. The massive participation of these boys and girls in recruitment drives come despite killing of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz by militants in Shopian district earlier this month to serve as a warning to youths aspiring to join the security forces.

The enthusiasm among these youths to be part of army and police force is in complete contrast to what Kashmir is witnessing these days. Young boys and girls of the same age have been throwing stones at the security forces across the Valley. On Sunday, thousands of people, especially youth, participated in the funeral prayers of Sabzar at his native Rathsuna village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.