Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today highlighted the immense pressure faced by the younger generation, particularly the unrealistic expectations of achieving academic excellence, which, he believed, steals their childhood and leaves little room for joy.
Speaking at an event hosted by Amar Ujala, Omar Abdullah called for a balanced approach to life, urging students to embrace learning, engage in physical activities, and prioritize reading beyond textbooks.
According to an official press release, the event organized to honor meritorious students from high school and intermediate classes, saw participation from Ministers Javed Ahmad Rana and Satish Sharma, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Principal Secretary of School Education, Executive Editor of Amar Ujala Indu Shekhar Pancholi, senior officials, students from various institutions, and their parents.
“For us, our time is passing. But life is a continuous journey of learning,” said Omar Abdullah, who was the chief guest at the event.
He emphasized that education is not confined to academic institutions but is also drawn from life’s experiences, urging the youth to learn from others’ mistakes and guidance.
He personally handed certificates and medals to the awardees and underscored the importance of resilience.
“Nothing in life is permanent—neither bad times nor good times. What truly matters is how we use the present moment. Learn from the past, prepare for the future, and live in the now,” he advised.
Touching on societal pressures, Abdullah expressed concern over the extreme academic cut-offs, often exceeding 98 percent, which, he said, were creating unhealthy expectations.
“This unrealistic pressure steals your childhood, something you can never get back. We, the older generation, must ensure we don’t prematurely take away your innocence and joy,” he remarked.
The Chief Minister also urged students to find time for playing and outdoor activities, emphasizing its impact on health and academic focus.
Encouraging children to inculcate the habit of reading books, he highlighted its role in broadening perspectives and relieving stress. Omar Abdullah did not shy away from pinpointing challenges such as drug addiction among the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
While celebrating the achievements of the awardees, he pointed to the alarming rise in addiction cases.
“Addiction is not a habit or a weakness; it is a medically recognized disease. It is only by God’s grace that you have stayed on the right path. But we need your help to save others. If you see someone struggling, encourage them to seek treatment,” he urged.
On climate change, the Chief Minister reflected on his childhood memories, contrasting them with the present-day reality of erratic weather patterns.
“The world we inherited from our ancestors was far better than the one we’re passing on to you. We have a responsibility to act now, to begin reversing the damage we’ve caused. I hope that when you stand in my place decades from now, you won’t feel the same regret I do,” he said. Concluding his address, Omar Abdullah shared a simple yet powerful lesson: “Never give in”.
“No matter how difficult or dark things may seem, you must persevere,” he advised, sharing examples from his political career to inspire resilience among the students.
The event ended on a high note, with the chief minister Omar Abdullah expressing his heartfelt congratulations to the students and their parents for their hard work and achievements, while encouraging them to strive for a balanced, fulfilling life.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said that the ‘one nation, one election’ bill, when introduced in the Parliament, “should not meet the fate of Article 370 bill”.
According to the news agency KNO, Omar Abdullah said that there should be an open debate on the ‘one nation, one election’ bill and it shall not meet the fate of bills like Reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir and scrapping of Article 370, which happened in 2019 – on which there was hardly any debate.
The ‘one national one election’ bill is likely to be tabled during the current parliament session.
Replying to a query, Omar told the media-persons that it has not been tabled in the Parliament yet and the National Conference (NC) will sit and decide about it accordingly.
“It has not come before the Parliament yet. It will be debated in the House. The debate should be open; it should not be like what happened during creation of UT (J&K Re-organization Act) and revocation of Article 370 in 2019, where token debate happened for just two hours, and the government passed the bills. It should be discussed openly and then Parliament will take a decision on it,” the Chief Minister said, adding, “As far as the National Conference is concerned, we will sit and form an opinion on it and tell our MPs how to vote.”
Furthermore, on his promise to restore Darbar move practice and BJP’s criticism of it, Omar said, “The party (BJP) stopped this practice and did injustice with Jammu. BJP claims to be the well-wisher of Dogras and Jammu but they not only stopped Darbar move practice but even changed the geographical map of Jammu.
“BJP erased all the footprints and welfare measures instituted by Maharaja Hari Singh for J&K, which includes changing J&K’s map, ending Darbar move, State Subject law, etc. — but we will restore all the lost things at the earliest”.
Asked about the clarity on powers in the Union Territory, the Chief Minister said, “The work on framing business rules is going on and we hope that by December-end or January 2025 it will be finalized.”
Omar also took a dig at opposition parties and said that the people of J&K gave a mandate to the National Conference to run the government for five years. “We don’t have just five days or five weeks, but we have been elected for five years and the government will come up with its report card after five years of rule,” the Chief Minister said. (KNO)
