Visible change seen in radicalised youths after 'Sahi Raasta' programme, says Army

Baramulla (J&K): There has been a perceptible change in the attitude of youths who have taken part in 'Sahi Raasta', a civil-military programme to wean away the younger population from Kashmir valley who may have deviated on the path of radicalisation, says the Army.

The aim of the programme, run jointly by the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir administration, is to address the "cognitive behaviours of vulnerable youth" through the narrative of 'Kashmiriyat' for peace and prosperity, as an alternative to terror and death" and thus help break the "cycle of violence," a senior Army official here said.

"So far, 130 youths have undertaken this programme, since its inception a year ago, and visible change has been seen, both in terms of the psychological impact and the correct way forward adopted by participants, barring a very small percentage in which no perceived change has been seen," he said.

As part of the 'Sahi Raasta' (meaning correct path) initiative, identified youths who have either been radicalised or drifted on that path are brought back and integrated into the mainstream through a 21-day residential programme during which experts from various fields, besides, several senior Army officers interact with them.

Six batches, with the average age of such youths in the category of 16-25 years, a majority of them hailing from north Kashmir, have undergone the programme.