‘Glamour of conflict’ attracts youth to armed movements: VK Singh

Amingaon (Assam): ‘Glamour of conflict’ attracts the youth to armed movements, which is also fuelled by various other socio-economic factors like ‘widespread unemployment’, Union Minister VK Singh said here on Tuesday.
Force against conflict can be used for a positive outcome but the whole process of reconciliation involves several steps like equal opportunity and transparent process, Singh, a former Army chief said.
Speaking in the same vein on youth caught in conflicts, Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya stressed on the need to include the voice of the youth while discussing peace as this section of the populace is ‘disproportionately affected’ in times of conflict.
They were speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Peace Building and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War’ at the Youth 20 inception meeting here.
“Diversity of a nation contributes to differing perceptions. It can create disharmony if not managed properly, otherwise it becomes the nation’s strength,” Singh said.
Social economic conditions create haves and have-nots. Dissatisfaction in minds lead to conflicts, he added.
Dissidence leads to conflicts and ‘widespread unemployment’ widens the conflict, with various factors like ‘external support’ and ‘internal political conflicts’ fuelling it further, he said.
The perpetrators of conflicts create a fear psychosis so that people are made to join them even if they were not willing themselves, he claimed.
“Glamour of conflict unfortunately attracts the youth. Youth is the most impressionable age and they will matter how a nation is run in the future,” the Union MoS for Road Transport and Civil Aviation said.
For resolving conflict, force can lead to a positive outcome but the whole process of reconciliation has multiple steps, like ensuring equal opportunity and transparent process, he added.
Surya maintained that the youth is the section of populace that gets ‘disproportionately affected’ in times of war and conflict and it is imperative to include them while discussing lasting solutions for peace.
He also maintained that as the world is getting more inter-connected due to technological advancements, the challenges of youth are also more shared.
“Changing global economic order, climate change, etc, are some of the issues for the youth of today. The scale of problems youth is facing are very different and globalised than before,” the BJP Yuva Morcha chief added.
The Bengaluru South MP also said creating an ecosystem where individuals feel at ease and can fulfil their potential also ensures lesser dissidence and conflict.
Lt Gen Satish Dua (Retd), who was also among the panellists, highlighted the role of army in peace building and peace keeping initiatives.
“Armies are not meant to wage war. Armies are meant to ensure peace. If there is a strong army, enemies won’t attack,” he asserted.
The former Army officer highlighted the role of the Army in Jammu and Kashmir, where ‘businesses are now thriving and tourists are thronging’ from a situation of bandhs, hartals and fear.