North Kashmir youth not influenced by scholar Mannan joining militant ranks: army

Kupwara: A senior army officer on Monday said that youth in north Kashmir, especially Kupwara district, were not influenced by the joining of research scholar Mannan Wani into militant ranks and that the army was making endeavours to keep the jobless youths engaged in multiple career activities.
General Officer Commanding (GoC) Kilo Force Lt. Gen. A K Singh said this on the sidelines of inauguration of a Skill Development Center in collaboration with Mahandira pride at Army Goodwill school in Krusan village of Kupwara district.
“Youth are keen to shape up their careers and army is making endeavours to provide them suitable platforms and facilitate job prospects for such youth. Peace loving people of north Kashmir have rejected militancy and for them Mannan Wani is a forgotten chapter,” he told the reporters.
The officer said that army was keen to bring back Wani into the mainstream.
“Efforts are afoot to bring misguided research scholar back into the mainstream. His family has also made a fervent appeal to him to shun militancy,” he said. Singh said that north Kashmir was largely peaceful and that the army was making effort to improve the situation further.
“A small number of militants are present in north Kashmir. Army is making efforts to keep youth away from joining militant ranks and at the same time neutralise the militants present in the region,” the GoC said.
To a question, the GoC said that army was alert and fully prepared to foil infiltration bids in the region.