Kashmiri students on 'mission' to know India meet Chidambaram

Herald Globe (IANS) Friday 10th February, 2012

A group of Kashmiri students, mostly from the families affected by militant violence, who are on a pan-India 'know the country' tour, Friday met Home Minister P. Chidambaram here to share the experiences of their life-time trip.

The students, in the age group of 15 to 24, are on a home ministry-sponsored trip 'Mission Watan Ko Jano' that took them to Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

For most of them, it was their first experience of travelling beyond the 2.5-km-long Jawahar Tunnel through the Pir Panjal mountain range which links the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India.

The students -- 31 girls and 127 boys -- interacted with the home minister and narrated their experiences during the tour.

'All of them said they were fascinated by the exposure. Chidambaram listened intently to them,' a home ministry spokesperson said.

The home ministry-sponsored programme exposes youths of Jammu and Kashmir to the development and vitality of culture of people in other parts of the country.

The group will be calling on President Pratibha Patil Saturday.

The tour which started Jan 31 is being conducted in coordination with the Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Council, an autonomous outfit working under the social welfare department of the state government.

The organisation has a focus to provide assistance for the physical, psychological and economic rehabilitation of the victims of militancy.

The students during their trip interacted both at inter-state and intra-state level and participated in cultural activities at various places.

They also engaged themselves in various activities including sports, debates, painting competition, interactive programmes, cultural interactions with similar age groups in schools and colleges during their stay at various places.