Srinagar, Oct 29: Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat on Thursday urged young people to take part in sporting activities to promote physical and mental fitness, overcome mobile phone addiction and steer clear of social evils such as drug abuse and gambling
Addressing participants at the Pedal Through Paradise cycling event in Srinagar, Prabhat said sports instil discipline and resilience among young people while contributing to a healthier society.
“Cycling is not just a symbol of a healthy lifestyle. Apart from making you physically strong, it also makes you mentally resilient and helps you develop discipline,” he said.
Highlighting the growing problem of excessive mobile phone use, the DGP said, “Today, the biggest problem across the world is smartphone or cellphone addiction. We are constantly on screens, and this is neither good for our health nor for the prosperity of society.”
He said sporting activities could help people break away from excessive screen time and sedentary lifestyles, which contribute to health problems and impose a burden on society.
Prabhat paid tribute to 1,621 police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty, saying their sacrifices had helped create conditions for sporting events and other constructive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
He credited the youth for contributing to the strengthening of peace in the Union Territory and said sports could help them channel their aspirations positively.
“Our youth are our asset. You are our future, and it is because of you that progress will take place here, a hundred times more than what has been achieved so far,” he said.
The DGP said Jammu and Kashmir Police was committed to engaging young people through various programmes and helping eliminate social evils.
“We are committed to continuously engaging with our youth through different programmes and trying to eliminate all the evils in society, whether it is drug abuse or gambling,” he said.
Prabhat also announced a series of sporting events to be organised in honour of police martyrs, including a hockey tournament and a cricket tournament, besides the Martyrs’ Memorial Football Tournament in Srinagar. A Run for Unity event is also scheduled to be held in Jammu.
He said 28 indoor and open-air games were being organised across the Union Territory.
Referring to recent sporting events, the DGP said the Jashn-e-Dal marathon had drawn around 6,000 participants, the highest participation recorded in the police-led activities so far. Women and young people participated across 46 categories, he added.
Congratulating the winners and thanking participants, Prabhat said the success of sporting events depended on large-scale public participation.
“If there is no participation on such a large scale, the programme cannot become what we want it to be,” he said.
He also thanked the Additional Director General of Police, Armed Police, Nitish Kumar, the organising committee and other partners for making the cycling event successful.
