Jammu, Sep 16: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday called upon the youth to take an active role in the political and social affairs of Jammu and Kashmir, saying meaningful change would require greater participation of the younger generation.
Bukhari was speaking at a joining programme at the party headquarters in Gandhi Nagar, where former NSUI joint secretary Tavleen Bobarai, along with nearly 200 youths and around 100 prominent citizens from Arnia, joined the Apni Party.
Welcoming the new entrants, Bukhari said the youth should not remain spectators in political affairs and urged them to stay connected with their communities.
“You have to bring the change. Until you bring the change, the politics of Jammu and Kashmir will also not improve,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after the programme, Bukhari raised several issues, including unemployment, healthcare, restoration of statehood, electricity, drinking water and governance.
On the ongoing strike by National Health Mission employees and their demand for higher remuneration, he termed their demands legitimate and urged the administration to address their grievances.
Bukhari also questioned gaps in healthcare services, referring to the reported shortage of specialists and equipment in some hospitals. He said people in remote and hilly areas should have access to essential medical care close to their homes.
Referring to the Sub-District Hospital in Bani, he said he had learnt that the facility had been without a gynaecologist for around a decade, while a sonography machine was reportedly lying unused due to the absence of an operator.
He also questioned patient referrals from Rajouri Medical College to Government Medical College Jammu and raised concerns about healthcare infrastructure and manpower.
On statehood restoration, Bukhari said the issue should be pursued through dialogue and persuasion rather than confrontation. He said political leadership should put forward a reasoned case before the Union Government.
On unemployment, he said creating jobs and livelihood opportunities for educated youth should be among the foremost priorities of the government.
Bukhari also criticised what he described as the burden of electricity charges and gaps in drinking water supply, saying people were seeking basic necessities rather than unrealistic promises.
He called for greater transparency and accountability in government offices and said citizens should not face unnecessary hurdles in accessing public services.
Rejecting allegations that the Apni Party was a “B team” of the BJP, Bukhari said meeting Union leaders was part of democratic politics and that political leaders had the right to raise public concerns with the Union Government.
On reservation-related issues, he called for a detailed discussion on the distribution of benefits among different categories.
Bukhari also appealed to people to move beyond politics based on religious and regional divisions and said issues such as employment, healthcare, electricity, drinking water and accountable governance should remain at the centre of political discourse.
Apni Party Jammu provincial president S. Manjit Singh said the party would support the new entrants and continue its grassroots outreach across Jammu and Kashmir.
