Army Chief Gen. Rawat urges Kashmiri students to pick up sports and work towards containing terrorism

New Delhi, December 15: Pick up sports like cricket and football and work towards containing terrorism so that Kashmir valley flourishes again. This was said by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat while interacting with the group of madrasa students belonged to Jammu and Kashmir at his office in New Delhi on Thursday.

 

On this occasion, Gen. Rawat asked the students that "How many of you have read the holy Quran?" He said, “The message of peace and harmony is "beautifully portrayed" in the holy Quran and people often do not understand its essence.”

He said, "I will tell you what is the message in it. It is the message of peace and harmony and, it has been beautifully portrayed in it. And, all this noise made by the IS, it is nowhere mentioned in Quran." Gen Rawat further urged the students to follow the message embedded in the holy Quran.

Further Gen. Rawat urged the students to pick up sports like cricket and football and work towards containing terrorism so that Kashmir valley flourishes again. "Unlike Kashmir, you do not see bunkers here, people roam at night in peace. We want the same peaceful environment in Jammu and Kashmir too so that you can fearlessly go to schools and madrassas,” the Army Chief asserted.

Gen. Rawat also noted that Kashmir valley is equated with the heavens, and if you want that land to flourish, we must stop terrorism. He suggested that they take up cricket and football and engage themselves in constructive activities. "Play cricket and football, but I hear that the youth there play hide-and-seek with weapons,” he said.

The Army chief warmly shook hands with all the students and accompanying teachers and, in the end, asked them what difference they found between Delhi and Kashmir. Interestingly, students from Udhampur, J&K are on the tour of which is being conducted by Indian Army.

The tour was flagged off from Udhampur, J&K on 11 December 17 and during the course of the tour, the participants visited various cultural and historical places in Delhi and Agra. As a part of the Indian Army’s ongoing outreach programme to foster the spirit of National Integration, such tours provide an insight into the rich heritage of the country as well as various developmental and industry initiatives that are underway.