South Kashmir takes IAS route for image makeover
Suhail A Shah & Rifat Mohidin in anantnag
This is not the first time that south Kashmir is in news for its bright, young and educated boys. This time Athar Aamir’s Civil Services success has become an inspiration. The 23-year-old secured second place in the UPSC exams. Many youngsters leading the way in civil services from the conflict-torn region are keen to work in their own state and steer it out of its economic doldrums. South Kashmir has produced nearly half-a-dozen IAS officers since Shah Faesal’s made it big in 2009.
This year, nine candidates made it to the prestigious UPSC exams from Kashmir. The trend has changed in the last decade as more youth are looking for varied opportunities in the job-starved state. Civil Services have emerged as one of the main motivations.
That is visible at Devipora, a small village in south Kashmir’s Mattan. A little known village, Devipora is now known for being Athar’s home village. For locals of the district, Athar Amir Shafi, 23, is a new youth icon. “We too want to be an inspiration,” says Sana Iqbal, a management student from KP Road Anantnag. Villages in the region have seen a spike in militancy with many young educated people joining the militant ranks.
Last Tuesday, the Khan household, located amidst a vast expanse of land, was abuzz as villagers started pouring in to greet the family. Media men with cameras, microphones, video cameras and notepads rushed to the village.
Muhammad Shafi Khan, father of Athar, an Economics lecturer, sat amidst his neighbours, while his wife Tahira distributed candies among the guests. “My son was probably destined for this. He was 13 when he was given the young scientist award at the national level. He has cracked all competitive exams,” says Khan.
Athar in 2015 became the youngest from the Valley to secure a place in the coveted IAS, and this time, he did it again taking a leap from 560th place to number two.
As the celebrations went on at the Khan household, Athar missed them all as he is in Lucknow undergoing his training for a post in Indian Railway Transport Services (IRTS).
“It is a dream come true,” Athar told The Tribune on phone. While the Khans bask in the glory of their son’s feat, a village 20 km away in Bijbheara is equally festive. It is Farah Deeba’s home. Deeba, like Athar, cracked the coveted exam a second time in a row. Daughter of an engineer, who died young in an accident, Deeba and her two siblings were raised by their mother. “My mother has taught us how important it is to get educated,” says Deeba.
Like her father Deeba, too chose engineering and soon cracked the Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) tests. She also cleared UPSC last year. “I was not satisfied with my rank,” says Deeba. She is placed 281st this year as compared to the 533rd last year.
“The educated youth have started believing that they can crack the UPSC exam. Good thing is even if they fail, they land up at better places than was the case earlier,” says Imtiyaz Sheikh, who teaches civil service aspirants in Srinagar and Pulwama.
