Govt committed to destroying entire network radicalising youth: L-G Sinha

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, on Sunday reiterated his administration’s commitment to establishing lasting peace in the Union Territory, emphasising that peace will not be bought but earned through justice and resilience.

“We must unite and wage a war against terrorism, its ecosystem, and drug addiction. It is my firm resolve to eliminate the entire network responsible for radicalising youth, supplying weapons, providing funding, and assisting terrorists,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He stressed that the administration follows a clear policy: “Don’t touch the innocent and do not spare the guilty. The civil and police administration is committed to delivering justice to the families of victims of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. We are determined to eliminate every terrorist along with their entire support structure.”

The Lieutenant Governor was speaking at the felicitation ceremony of the ‘Pedal Through Paradise’ Cycle Race-2025, organised by the J&K Police in Srinagar.

L-G Sinha felicitated the winners and praised the enthusiasm and spirit of unity displayed by the participants. More than 5,500 cyclists from across the country competed in ten categories during the event.

In his address, the Lieutenant Governor saluted the sacrifice, dedication, and valour of the Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel in securing peace and promoting progress in the Union Territory.

“The J&K Police stands as a testament to selfless service, duty and sacrifice. Its legacy is written in the blood of its brave personnel, whose supreme sacrifices have strengthened national unity, established peace, inspired new hope and propelled J&K towards an era of progress and prosperity,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor also commended the J&K Police for its innovative Civic Action Programme, which aims to nurture new dreams, instill confidence and create fresh aspirations among the youth.

“Pedal Through Paradise is not just a sporting event but a symbol of the new Jammu and Kashmir. It sends a strong message to our youth to choose the path of progress over violence and drug addiction,” he remarked.

L-G Sinha urged young people to contribute towards building a terrorism-free, drug-free and physically fit Jammu and Kashmir.

Referring to transformation in Jammu and Kashmir over the last few years, the L-G said the vision of ‘Naya’ (new) Jammu and Kashmir is not just a slogan as some people claim. “In the new J&K, pens have replaced stones in the hands of youth. Schools and colleges remain open year-round, and hartal and bandh calendars have been replaced by the calendars of national and international events,” he said.

“Our youth are achieving new milestones in innovation and research. They are focussing on startups and starting their business ventures. Slogans of separatism are not raised, they have been replaced by the fusion of factories and new vibes of life,” Sinha added.

Pointing to the violence in Kashmir in the last few decades, the L-G said Pakistani terrorists have spilled blood of innocent citizens of J&K, and many families lost their loved ones to terrorism. “Thousands were killed at the behest of Pakistan. But in most cases, not even FIRs were registered,” he said.

Sinha said people remained silent because of the fear of terror ecosystem. “We have started a process to change that situation. The civil and police administration have started an initiative to provide justice to those families. On July 13, 40 terror victim families in Baramulla were provided with government job appointment letters.

“It is an irony for J&K that jobs were provided to terrorists or those linked to terror, but those youth or families who were victims of Pakistani terrorism were left to fend for themselves. But, now their empowerment is being ensured. This process of delivering justice will continue in the coming days,” he added.

The event was attended by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Principal Secretary of the Home Department, Chandraker Bharti, Special Director General (Coordination) SJM Gillani, ADGP Armed Police Anand Jain, ADGP Headquarters MK Sinha, IGP Kashmir VK Birdi, and other senior officials.