Home Minister Rajnath Singh urged the youth of Jammu-Kashmir to participate in sports and receive education to “change their own fate”.

Addressing a sports conclave at Srinagar on Thursday, Singh said, “Many sporting talents have been lost in the dark for many years in this state. Now we are giving opportunities to the youth and sporting talents of the state.”

Expressing his hope in the youth of J-K, Singh said that they can “change the future course and their own fate through ‘Sports Ki Karamat’ (miracle of sports) and ‘Taleem Ki Taqat’ (power of education)”.

In the wake of the recent stone-pelting incidents on security forces in the Valley, the Home Minister commented on why the government decided to withdraw cases of stone-pelting against the youth.

“Sports can bring a change in your lives. Children can be misguided easily but we know the truth that is why we have withdrawn all stone pelting cases against them,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

In February, J-K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said her government had approved withdrawal of cases registered against 9,730 people involved in stone-pelting incidents, including first-time offenders, between 2008 and 2017.

Addressing the conclave, Mufti said children from J-K should be given atmosphere and opportunity to develop like that of the other parts of the country. She said such opportunities would give the youth a chance to grow and stop the violence.

More than 3,000 sportsmen, students and enthusiasts from the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh participated in the sports conclave.

The Home Minister also felicitated prominent sports personalities such as Parvez Rasool, Manzoor Ahmad, Mehraj Ud Din Wadoo, Palak Kour, Balveen Kaur, Surya Bhanu and members of Real Kashmir Football Club at the sports conclave organised by Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council in Srinagar.

Among those honoured at the conclave was Tajamul Islam, the 10-year-old girl who won the 2016 World Kickboxing Championship.

The Minister arrived here on Thursday for a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation amid an ongoing Ramadan ceasefire which the militants have flouted.

Read More: Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s two-day J-K visit begins

In his meetings with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Governor NN Vohra and security and intelligence officials, Rajnath Singh and his senior officials are likely to take a call on whether to extend the ceasefire beyond Ramzan that ends of 15 June.

Since the central government announced the ceasefire decision on 16 May, militants have launched hit-and-run grenade and IED attacks on security forces.

Before leaving Delhi, Rajnath Singh said his visit will also involve interaction with youths, people living in border areas and other sections of the society in Jammu and Kashmir.

(With agency inputs)