To counter radicalisation in Kashmir and thwart the propaganda of Pakistan, J&K Union Territory has got 5,000 additional vacancies in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
NCC Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh said the activities of the youth wing of the armed forces have increased in Kashmir with a lot of enthusiasm in recent years.
“Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh directorate is very important from a strategic point of view. In the last two years, the directorate got 5,000 additional vacancies for enrolment of youth,” he said during his visit to the NCC training academy at Nagrota in Jammu.
The NCC chief said that 27,000 cadets are enrolled with NCC in 460 institutions of J&K and they are trained to act as volunteers in any emergency situation for the country. “In south Kashmir, which was once the hub of terrorism, the NCC activities have increased and there is a lot of enthusiasm among youth,” he said.
“During our recent enrolment in Anantnag, we got an overwhelming response. Similarly, youth from north Kashmir are participating in various UT and national level camps on a routine basis. We have more than five cadets waiting for a single vacancy, which is a huge boost for our activities,” the DG NCC said.
A senior police officer said radicalisation in Kashmir has become a significant threat in recent years due to consistent efforts of Pakistan.
“Kashmir had been a liberal society for ages, but radicalisation has affected it today. The generation born after the 1990s knows nothing about the Kashmiryat, as they grew up in an environment of violence and the presence of security forces,” he said.
The officer said the participation of youth in NCC activities will definitely help in tiding the rise of radicalisation among youngsters. “It is imperative to take measures to counter radicalization in Kashmir to thwart the propaganda of Pakistan and strengthening the NCC base can be one of the options,” he added.