I wish to see Kashmir as paradise on earth, says President Kovind at varsity convocation

"I am banking on the younger generation of Jammu and Kashmir to realise this dream which I am sure will come true sooner than later," he said at the convocation of the University of Kashmir
President Ram Nath Kovind (File Photo | PTI)
President Ram Nath Kovind (File Photo | PTI)

SRINAGAR: President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday said he wished to see Kashmir as a paradise on earth and is banking on the younger generation of Jammu and Kashmir to realise this dream.

“It is impossible to write a history of Indian philosophy without referring to Kashmir’s contributions to it. One of the oldest manuscripts of the Rigveda was written in Kashmir. This is the most conducive region for philosophies to prosper,” President Kovind said while addressing the 19th annual convocation of the University of Kashmir at Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here.

He said close to 3 lakh students are receiving degrees today. “With more than 2.5 lakh bachelors and more than 1,000 doctorates over the past eight years, the University has made remarkable progress”.

“I feel blessed in standing on this land, which is not only a reservoir of wisdom but also endowed with unparalleled natural beauty,” the President said.

He said in September last year, during a consultation on the new National Education Policy, he had spoken of his dream.

“I wish to see Kashmir as paradise on earth. I am banking on the younger generation of Jammu and Kashmir to realise this dream which I am sure will come true sooner than later. Kashmir is bound to acquire its rightful place as the crowning glory of India,” asserted Kovind.

He said Kashmir provides a template of communal harmony and peaceful co-existence and the core nature of this place has always been inclusive.

Referring to the over three-decade-old militancy in J&K, Kovind said, “It was most unfortunate that the outstanding tradition of peaceful coexistence was broken. Violence, which was never part of ‘Kashmiriyat’, became the daily reality.”

“It is alien to Kashmiri culture and it can only be termed as an aberration – a temporary one, much like a virus that attacks the body and needs to be purged. Now there is a new beginning and determined efforts to regain this land’s lost glory,” he said.

The President said as Kashmir has turned a new leaf (indirectly referring to the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A), exciting new possibilities are opening up. “The whole of India is watching you with admiration and pride. Kashmiri youth are scaling new heights in a variety of sectors, from civil service exams to sports and entrepreneurial ventures.”

In view of the President's four-day visit, security arrangements have been beefed up in Kashmir especially in Srinagar. Securitymen have set up temporary check points, where vehicles and commuters are being thoroughly searched. The Boulevard Road along the world famous Dal Lake and Gupkar Road in Srinagar have been made out of bounds for civilians.

The 18th annual convocation of the University of Kashmir was held in September 2012 and it was attended and addressed by then president Pranab Mukherjee.

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