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Conflict and its Impact upon Youth
by Prakash Bhattarai
Nepal has suffered from ongoing conflict and tensions over the past decades. The conflict has not only affected a particular group, community or specific situation of the nation but the entire process of the country particularly the extension of development, to drive the nation according to the demands of new decades and to sustain and compete in the global market economy. Seven years long, the Maoist movement in nepal is not just a violent expression to achieve the political power for establishing a peoples republic rather it is a radical social movement, which has already taken 7400 peoples’ as I write this in the summer of 2003.
Globally, youth are facing different kinds of problems. The youth from the developing countries like Nepal are especially deprived of their basic human and civil rights and they are deprived of opportunities that seemed present just twenty years before. With reference to Nepal's social, economic and cultural context and status, it has been found that the youth are directly or indirectly involved and influenced by the political movements. Youth are killed often here, unfortunately, and this causes great unrest. Where as the next group of the youth who are psychologically shocked by the are either living in frustration or flee from their origin to save their life and in search of employment in India and gulf countries that are not as turbulent.
Generally, the people between 16-30 years of age can be taken as the active young population of the society. Young people cover 32 percent of the total population in Nepal and are living in vulnerable position. Every time we see that youth are exploited in war and conflict that can be read in history books of post wars and conflict and can be realised by observing the current practices of killing innocent people and loss of property that happens every day in Nepal. Here are some of the references that present the situation of youth during the conflicting situation of the country.
· Even after the Nepalese government-Maoist cease-fire was announcement, the displaced youth from different villages of the Dailekh district of mid western region are hesitant to return to their origin due to the fear from the Maoists. Because the youth have to flee to India without getting permission from the Maoists during the time while the security forces was conducting massive operation against insurgents.
· A group of youth from Dhading district of mid region had gone for construction work in Rukum district of mid western hills of the country. Security forces during their patrolling horrendously killed 17 innocent youth on the charge of their involvement in the Maoist movement. This death brought a mournful sorrow in their home and the same time more than a dozen of family lost their care taker one at a time.
· Youth those who represents from Dalit and ethnic community are actively involved in the Maoist movement as freedom fighters. Their ambition is not only limited to achieving the political power, rather they are also urging their movement to eliminate all forms of socio-economic and cultural situation of the country. The youth of Dalit community have kept out of the national mainstream; which gives rise to frustration and anger, which after all has reflected in the conflict through their active participation as combatants.
· The education system and the employment status of the country are not interlinked with each other. The university education is not applicable to get employment to all who get degrees or specialisation in their subject of interest. Therefore, this results in frustration on common youth who do not have other access of solving their hand to mouth problem besides being engaged in proper job based on their academic qualification. In other words, they are placed in subs that they do not have the proper skills for, which often results in social unrest.
· There are very limited resources for rural youths in comparison to the urban youths. Therefore, the limitation could not fulfill the demands of all youth. This is also one of the prominent causes to divert them in conflict with the hope of getting equal opportunity and the violent movement as the only way for freedom.
· The people in the rural areas are oppressed in every aspect of their lives. Their social participation has been widely neglected. Their political interest to choose their leaders from their ethnic or cultural communities have never been ackknowledged and their identities (Philosophical as well as Cultural) have been deserted. As a result, youth have been encouraged to carry guns and to be involved in the never ended conflict.
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Prakash Bhattarai
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I like your articals Suman Rimal | May 18th, 2004
Mr.Bhattrai,
I like your articals. It would be nice to print in paper media in other international magazine.
Thanks for your writing
Suman Rimal
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