Srinagar: Enthused with the wealth of human capital in Kashmir, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday pledged to do his bit in building a long-term relationship with the youth of the state and fulfil their aspirations.
Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata said he was feeling very emotional in saying that, "It has been a real step forward to be able to have a conversation with a great wealth of human capital that exists in Kashmir".
Gandhi told reporters after an interactive session with students of Kashmir University, "I think we have some of the brightest children in the room behind us. We need to work together with them and with other youngsters like them in Jammu and Kashmir to show them what can be achieved (and) what the future is and that they should take part in it".
Gandhi, who had brought some of the leading businessmen in the country to interact with the students of Kashmir University, said his main aim was to build trust and a long-term relationship with the youth of the state.
"They (students) are very very happy to speak with the businessmen and they are aspirational and we want to fulfil as many of their aspirations as possible. My aim is to develop trust and a long-term relationship with the youth of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
The Congress general secretary said he had promised the students of university during a similar interaction last year to facilitate an interaction with the titans of the industry.
"I had come here last year and I had promised the students here that I would try to build a long-term relationship with them, to develop some trust", he said.
Gandhi said, "They had mentioned to me that they would like to speak to some big businessmen and discuss job placements. So I had brought some of the titans of the industry to Kashmir to have a word with them".
He said he and the businessmen had a nice conversation with the "very very bright students and we want to try and see if we can build a future together".
Tata said, "What Mr Gandhi has done is not open a window but open a door".
He said it was for the industry leaders to do something for people of Kashmir so that they become a part of the growth and development of the country.
"It is for us as people in the industry to look beyond our normal places of endeavour to do something in Kashmir, to do something with Kashmir and to do something for the people of Kashmir that will bring prosperity and change," he added.
Tata said the interactive session with the students has displayed the intelligence as also the ability and keenness to participate in the growth and development of India.
"The potential is enormous and I think what has happened is today that the doors have been opened," he said.
While Gandhi and the industrialists were interacting with students in the Convocation Hall of the University, another group of students held a protest against the visit at the other end of the campus, sources said.
The handful of students raised slogans alleging that the university was being used for political ends, they said.
They were chased away by police and university watch and ward staff, the sources said.
Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had called for protests against Gandhi`s visit.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.