Omar Abdullah: Girls Not Responsible for Violence, Society Must Ensure Safe Environment
SRINAGAR, Aug 22 – Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said women are not responsible for the violence and discrimination they face, asserting that parents and society as a whole have a responsibility to ensure girls grow up in a safe and equitable environment.
Abdullah was addressing the annual-day function, titled "Clock Tower Cosmos", of Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School in Srinagar's Rajbagh. The school is commemorating 250 years of the Presentation Congregation and its own 90-year legacy in Kashmir.
During the event, students presented various cultural programmes. Abdullah referred to a musical skit that questioned whether society is truly equitable and fair to its daughters, highlighting issues such as child marriage, acid attacks, female foeticide, domestic violence, and gender-based violence.
The Chief Minister particularly appreciated the message conveyed by the students that responsibility for violence and discrimination against women cannot be placed on the victims. "It is not the girl who is responsible for what happens. It is us who have not been able to teach our sons how to be better human beings," he said, describing the message as an eye-opener for society.
Abdullah emphasised that parents and society as a whole have a responsibility to ensure that girls grow up in a safe and equitable environment. "I believe our girls are safe here. And I believe with such confident students of this school, the future of Jammu and Kashmir is safe with girls of this calibre," he said.
Chief Minister Recalls School Days
Abdullah also recalled his association with the institution, saying he had started his schooling there as a kindergarten student nearly five decades ago, when the school was co-educational. He noted that this often surprises people, as Presentation Convent in Kashmir has long been perceived as an exclusively girls' institution.
Expressing happiness at returning to his alma mater, Abdullah said it was heartening to witness the confidence, talent, and composure of the students today. "Fifty years ago, I was a student of this great institution," he recalled.
He fondly remembered the school grounds where students assembled and marched to music, and the teachers and Sisters who led the institution over the years. Abdullah said Presentation Convent has contributed significantly to society by producing civil servants, doctors, police officers, engineers, business leaders, sportspersons, and lawmakers.
The Chief Minister also said that educational institutions are not merely producing educated girls but are nurturing confident young women, whose confidence provides a strong assurance that the future of Jammu and Kashmir is secure.
The function was attended by former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah, MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq, Provincial Leader-North India Gleetus Rani, Principal Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School Mary Jarsi, faculty members, parents, students, and other dignitaries.
(Inputs from Excelsior Correspondent and PTI)