Refrain from strikes for the sake of children: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has appealed to the separatists to stop giving strike calls for the sake of children as disruption of classes would ruin their future.

"Strikes affect our children directly. Schools and colleges remain closed and their education suffer. This way, we are ruining their future," Omar said at a function in Srinagar last evening.

He said, some "vested interests" were trying to make futile attempts to derail the peaceful atmosphere in the state and playing with the future of our youth.

"It is necessary that conducive atmosphere should prevail so that our youngsters and students could go to their schools, colleges and universities and secure their academic career."

Omar said, "The youth have tremendous talents and sense of competition and these need to be channelised in a proper manner so that they could compete at national and international levels in any stream of education, sports and technology".

Referring to the elections to the local bodies scheduled for next month, he said unless the corporations are not strengthened financially, they would fail in serving the people.

Regarding re-organisation of the corporations, the CM assured the employees that the matter would be discussed with the finance department for a long term solution.