INDIA: CHILDREN FROM WAR TORN KASHMIR ENJOY AIR INDIA'S MOCK UP AIRCRAFT DURING THEIR STAY IN BOMBAY.

Record ID: 1374702

  • Title: INDIA: CHILDREN FROM WAR TORN KASHMIR ENJOY AIR INDIA'S MOCK UP AIRCRAFT DURING THEIR STAY IN BOMBAY.
  • Date: 15th March 2005
  • Summary: (L!2) SPRINAGAR, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (OCTOBER 17, 2003) (ANI-ACCESS ALL) VARIOUS: INDIAN PARAMILITARY BORDER SECURITY FORCE (BSF) OFFICIALS RUNNING TOWARDS HOUSE OF STATE CHIEF MINISTER MUFTI MOHAMMAD SAYEED (AUDIO GUNFIRE) LAS: SECURITY FORCES WATCHING FROM WINDOW. WS: BSF OFFICIALS RUNNING, (AUDIO OF GUNFIRE) TRACK: BSF OFFICIAL GETTING HIS GUN READY.
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2005 23:49
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BOMBAY / KASHMIR, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Conflict,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA782FV9IJAXNU3I8HD1VJC0K51
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Children from the conflict-ridden Kashmir region were taken on a nationwide tour to enjoy Air India's mock up aircraft in western Bombay city.
    Children from the disputed town of Kashmir on the northern borders of India and Pakistan have become accustomed to a daily life of gunbattles, unrest and instability. While youths from other parts of the world worry about fitting in with their peers, doing well in school and making friends, Kashmiri children are lucky to make it to classes without being pummelled by bullets.
    Kashmiri children were taken out of their revolt-racked region into the mainstream courtesy of Air India. The airline provided a mock-up Boeing 747 aircraft in western Bombay to entertain the group of 70 children in the country's financial hub Bombay.
    The scheme "Operation Sangam (Confluence)" was conceived by the army.
    The objective of the tour which began early this month is to bring children of revolt-racked Indian Kashmir into mainstream.
    Assiya Manzoor, a Kashmiri girl, said that she would love to share her experience about the developments in the city, back home so that same could be done for the progress of their region.
    "We have come here so that we can interact with other children and so that we get more exposure. We have come to see and notice developments over here and want our Kashmir to reach the same heights of development.We want to make our Kashmir as much developed as Mumbai (Bombay)," Manzoor said.
    Iffat Bashir, a Kashmiri child, said that it was more of an educational tour that helped them to enrich their knowledge about their country.
    "We are feeling very nice to come out of Kashmir. It's like an education tour and would help enrich our knowledge," Bashir said.
    The children who visited various parts of the city, enjoyed the mock flight experience which introduced them to the Air India mascot and gave them an insight into various parts of the nation.
    "We have also had an exposure to different parts of India, to give them an idea what their country really is, beyond the valley. We have taken them on a nationwide tour and shown them around 7-8 cities. We also have a segment which has patriotic songs to make them feel that they are a part of this country," said Shariar Karim, flight supervisor.
    Kashmir is the core of dispute between India and Pakistan which have fought three wars since Independence from Britain in 1947. The two countries have strengthened diplomatic, commercial, sporting and transport links in the past 16 months but have made little headway over Kashmir.
    New Delhi suspects Islamabad of aiding Muslim rebels fighting its rule in Jammu and Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state. More than 45,000 have people have died in the revolt though violence levels have fallen in line with the improving relations.
    Islamabad denies arming militants, but says it provides moral and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri "freedom" struggle.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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