@JournalistAadil
Srinagar: Children and youth are the pictures of a nation’s future. They are our hope for tomorrow. Youth constitutes a significant size of Kashmir population. It is a spirited and ingenious section of our society. Their energy requires proper channelling to realise the true spirit of Naya Kashmir.
The Indian Army has undertaken various initiatives to engage with the youth of the J&K so as to bring them to the mainstream to contribute to nation building. In the series of such an initiative the Indian Army organised the first ever Kalaroos Youth Mela at Thaiyan, Kalaroos, Kupwara on Wednesday. The event was sponsored by Kafila Foundation, Stay Fit Gym Kalaroos, and Cultural Academy Kupwara.
In this youth mela event like Mr Kalaroos Contest 2022, Cultural Programme contest and career counselling by academic experts were conducted. Each event was conducted with an aim to spread a positive message amongst youth. The aim of Mr Kalaroos Contest was to spread the message of good health and make youth socially aware and be a responsible organ of the society.
The cultural performance at the contest was aimed at bringing youth closure to our rich Kashmiri and village culture. In today’s modern time, we are moving away from our traditional roots, so this event was one little step to bring our youth closure to our rich culture. It was also aimed at providing our youth a platform to showcase their hidden talent to ensure holistic development of a young mind.
This Youth Mela was a two-day event which started on December 13 and culminated on December 14. On December 13 approximately 100 youth participated in the screening process for Mr Kalaroos Contest 2022. Total of 20 finalists were shortlisted on December 13 for Mr Kalaroos Contest. Total of 15 schools from the area came for auditions with various cultural programmes.
On December 14, shortlisted candidates of Mr Kalaroos Contest took part in the contest wherein they were tested for physical fitness and social awareness. It was a very closely contested contest in which all participants were at par. Yasir from Kalaroos was adjudged Mr Kalaroos 2022. Amir Nazir from Kalaroos and Abid Hussain from Thaiyan were adjudged as first runner up and second runner up respectively.
The Mela progressed to the second stage which was the cultural performance contest. Cultural performance contest was the soul of this Kalaroos Youth Mela. Total of 15 schools participated with approximately 22 cultural performances. Every school came up with captivating and extraordinary performances by girls and boys exhibiting Gurjar village and Kashmiri culture.
The confidence and competitive spirits of young blood of Kupwara was on display for everyone to see when each performance was a signature in itself of their hard-work and confidence. Two breath-taking performances by two handicap youth won everyone’s heart with their never die attitude. In the end top three performances were awarded with cash prizes and trophies. First prize of the cultural performance contest was won by Shahawar High School, Khumriyal. Each participating team was also awarded with consolation prizes.
This youth Mela was attended by Commander 68 Mountain Brigade, Commanding Officer of 41 RR, Mustafa Rahee Choudhary, DDC Kalaroos, Ateeqa Begum, BDC Kalaroos, Farooq Ahmed, Zonal Education Officer, principals and teachers of schools, Sarpanchs, Ward members, government officials and other dignitaries.
There were a total of 400 youths who were in attendance at the event. The audience enjoyed each of the events to the fullest and cheered up for the participants.
Commander 68 Mountain Brigade addressed the gathering and applauded young minds for their excellent performances and urged them to stay away from drugs and contribute to nation building.
DDC Mustafa Rahee thanked the Indian Army for organising such a first ever youth mela in Kalaroos and he praised all students for their josh. In the end everyone was highly appreciative of this initiative of the Indian Army. Youth of area were very happy to participate in the event and requested the Indian Army for more such initiatives pertaining to youth in future as well.
