Violence not part of Kashmiriyat, says President Ram Nath Kovind

Kashmir has always been known as ‘Sharda Desh’, after the illustrious Sharda Peeth, which was a famous centre of learning in ancient times, the President said, adding, '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 the philosophies to prosper. This is where great philosopher Abhinavagupta wrote his expositions on aesthetics and methods for the realisation of God. Hinduism and Buddhism flourished in Kashmir, as did Islam and Sikhism after it arrived here in later centuries.'

Srinagar: President Ram Nath Kovind, who is on a four-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday said that despite violence becoming the daily reality of the valley, it is alien to the Kashmiri culture and needs to be purged. He said that there is a new beginning and determined efforts to regain this land’s lost glory.

"Violence 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," Kovind said in his address to the 19th convocation of Kashmir University at SKICC here.

The President arrived in Kashmir on July 26 for his four-day visit and he is scheduled to return to New Delhi on Wednesday.

The President was scheduled to preside over the concluding function at Kargil Vijay Diwas in Drass to pay tributes to the slain soldiers of the Kargil War but officials said his flight could not take off due to bad weather. On Monday, he chaired a Unified Command Meeting with LG and other top security officials of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Democracy, I firmly believe, has within it a capacity to reconcile all differences and also a capacity to bring out the best of citizens’ potential. Kashmir, happily, is already realizing this vision. Democracy lets you build your own future, a peaceful and prosperous tomorrow. The youth and women especially have high stakes in it, and I am sure they will not let go of this opportunity to rebuild lives and rebuild Kashmir," he said in his address during the convocation.

"As Kashmir has turned a new leaf, 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," he said.

President Kovind urged the younger generation of Kashmir to learn from J&K’s rich legacy. “Kashmir has always been a beacon of hope for the rest of India," he said.

Lauding the role of the University of Kashmir in promoting education in the valley, the president said that with more than 2.5 lakh bachelors and more than 1,000 doctorates over the past eight years, the University has made remarkable progress. He said that some of the features of the new education policy have already been initiated at the University of Kashmir.

"Kashmir has always been known as ‘Sharda Desh’, after the illustrious Sharda Peeth, which was a famous centre of learning in ancient times." The President said that 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 the philosophies to prosper. This is where great philosopher Abhinavagupta wrote his expositions on aesthetics and methods for the realisation of God. Hinduism and Buddhism flourished in Kashmir, as did Islam and Sikhism after it arrived here in later centuries."

President Kovind said that the core nature of the place has always been inclusive. "Almost all religions that came to this land embraced a unique feature of Kashmiriyat that shunned orthodoxy and encouraged tolerance and mutual acceptance among communities."