General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief

New Delhi, December 14The message of peace and harmony is “beautifully portrayed” in the holy Quran and people often do not understand its essence, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat told a group of students from J&Ktoday, adding it does not propagate violence.Interacting with the group of madrassa students at his office here, General Rawat also asked them to take to sports, such as cricket and football, and work towards containing terrorism so that the Valley flourishes again.“How many of you have read the holy Quran?” General Rawat asked the 25-member group which is here as part of a national integration tour being conducted by the Army. “I will tell you what is the message in it. It is the message of peace and harmony (‘Aman ka paigam hai’). And, it has been beautifully portrayed in it. And, all the noise being made by the Islamic State, is nowhere mentioned in Quran,” he said.“So, you must follow the message embedded in the holy text. You think people understand the message. We do not properly understand it. In simple ways, the Quran has given the lessons (on human values),” the Army chief asserted.The students, aged 13-22, arrived here on December 12 and many of them are visiting Delhi for the first time.Various militant outfits have been trying to radicalise the youth in the Valley by using different means, including online propaganda. A number of people were arrested in the Valley in the past few months on charges of raising IS flags.The Army chief warmly shook hands with all students and accompanying teachers and asked them what difference they found between Delhi and Kashmir.“Unlike Kashmir, you do not see bunkers here, people roam at night in peace. We want the same peaceful environment in J&Ktoo so that you can fearlessly go to schools and madrassas.“The Valley is equated with the heaven, and if you want that land to flourish, we must stop terrorism,” General Rawat said. He suggested that they engage themselves in constructive activities. “Play cricket and football, but I hear that the youth there play hide-and-seek with weapons,” he said.Abdul Hameed, 13, from Panjgram village in Jammu, said, “I am very happy to be in Delhi. I have never travelled out of Jammu.” — PTI