More than 3,000 youths from Jammu and Kashmir appeared for the written exam for the selection of officers in the Territorial Army
Terrorists might have killed 22 year-old Army officer Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz, but they could not kill the spirit and zeal of thousands of Kashmiri youth who lined up to join the Army to serve the motherland on Sunday.
More than 3,000 youths from Jammu and Kashmir appeared for the written exam for the selection of officers in the Territorial Army. Of whom, more than 800 youth hailed from the restive Kashmir valley alone, a figure which is almost double than the previous year.
The exam was conducted at Srinagar and Udhampur and youth were bubbling with zeal to join the Indian Army and serve the nation.
"Territorial Army, known as the Citizen's Army, is a platform through which any Indian employed citizen can enroll and render service towards the nation. To get selected as an officer, the individual needs to clear a written exam followed by an interview," said Colonel NN Joshi, defence spokesman at Northern Command Headquarters.
The youth of Jammu and Kashmir, Colonel Joshi said, have come forward and shown their willingness to join the Territorial Army and dedicate themselves for the selfless service to the nation.
The extraordinary rush to join the army has come at a time when Kashmir is still reeling under the shock killing of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz.
The 22-year-old army officer of Rajputana Riffles was killed after terrorists abducted him from the residence of his maternal uncle in Batpora village of Shopian where he had gone to attend the marriage of his cousin sister on May 10.
Lieutenant Ummer's sacrifice seems to have reinvigorated a zeal among the youth to join the Army. On May 28, 1,292 candidates appeared in the written examination for Selection of Junior Commissioned Officers and other Ranks was held in Srinagar and Pattan. These candidates were shortlisted in 19,000 aspirants who had applied for different army posts when the recruitment drive started in April this year.
"There is a lot of interest among the boys (of Kashmir to join the forces). If we continue with such endeavor, we can guide Kashmiri youth on the right path," said an officer.
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