Srinagar, Mar 29: Continuing its outreach to student community, South Asia Center for Peace and Peoples Empowerment (SACPPE) organised a one-day seminar in collaboration with Shining Star Public School, Bagh-e-Mehtab on the outskirts of Srinagar city on Wednesday.
The event titled: “Responsibilities of students to make society a better place to live in” was attended by hundreds of students from the school besides teachers and representatives of the SACPPE. The event was held as part of the SACPPE’s ongoing initiative to reach out to the youth and engage them in positive activities.
Dr Asima Hassan, a child rights expert, who was the main resource person during the seminar spoke about how the crime rate among youth had increased in Kashmir in the recent years.
“Kashmir has remained an abode of Sufi saints and was called as ‘Peer Waer’ (Abode of peers). Not long ago there was almost zero crime rate in Kashmir, but with the advent of modernity and relegating the values and traditions, we have reached the present stage,” she said.
Dr Asima advised the students that they have an important role to make the society crime-free “and for that we have to go back to spirituality.”
“We should not destroy our culture, traditions and values in the mad race of modernity. We should use technology for the betterment of society and not misuse it. It is the duty of parents as well as teachers to guide the students and inculcate the right values in them,” she said.
“To achieve success, students shouldn’t use short-cuts and instead work hard. Drugs have engulfed our society and we have to fight this menace with all available resources. Students are the future of every nation and if they are not in safe hands, it means society is in crisis,” Dr Asima concluded.
Suman Gupta, a student said the role of the student starts from his/her home when he sensibly speaks with his parents, siblings and other relatives. “In school, the behavior of a student with his peers and teachers defines his future. The need of the hour is to think positive and move ahead in life,” she said.
Arooba Batool, a teacher at the school, the responsibility of a teacher is to make a student a good citizen and make him aware about his duties towards the society. “In the era of technological age, there is a need to inculcate moral values among students and events like SACPPE are holding are a must in this direction,” she said.
“When students become responsible, it will in the long run pave the way for promoting a healthy society and nation building. Students have to abide by the law and order of the country,” she added.
Earlier Morifat Mushtaq, a teacher who hosted the event, gave a detailed presentation about the aim of holding such an event in the school. “Students have to understand their responsibilities for the interests of the nation and the society,” he said.
Other students who spoke included Afaan Maqbool, Falak Mushtaq, LubnaImtiyaz, Arooba Bilal, Zainab, Sana Shabir and others.
Umar Bhat, Vice-President of the SACPPE said the organization will continue to hold such events in educational institutions.
SACPPE is a government registered, non-profit and apolitical organisation which is working for the cause of all round development of the society and promotion of education, research and learning.
