Jammu and Kashmir minister Abdul Haq Khan today met students from the state studying in various colleges in Mumbai and discussed problems faced by them.
During his interaction, the minister asked the students to become the ambassadors of Jammu and Kashmir and help in breaking the negative image of Kashmir, built by a section of media.
"On the direction of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Minister for Law and Justice Abdul Haq Khan today met Kashmiri students studying in various colleges of Mumbai to get the firsthand account of the issues being faced by them outside the state," an official spokesman said.
He said, during the interaction, it came fore that the students had to face problems due to the negative image of Jammu and Kashmir being portrayed by blowing minor issues out of proportion.
Khan said that studying outside the state could be a blessings in disguise for the students as they could bridge the gap by knowing more about the people and diverse cultures and help in removing negative images.
"Once people talk to each other, the negative notions against each other get demolished and real picture comes to fore," the minister was quoted as saying. He further added that it was the only way that people of Kashmir can counter the negative image being portrayed by a section of media.
Making an appeal to media to be a part of the solution instead of fuelling trouble, he said it can be done by facilitating in bridging gap and helping in addressing the alienation of Kashmiri youth.
The students told the minister about hardships being faced by them in finding rented accommodation.
They also demanded setting up of a special helpline in the state on which the students can contact the government in case of any need.
The minister assured that all the measures would be taken in safeguarding the interest of the students who are studying outside the state, the spokesperson said.
Khan advised the students to get in touch with the Chief Minister's Grievance Cell through social networking sites or call it directly in case they need any help from the government.
"The Chief Minister's grievances cell is functional 24X7 and monitored continuously," he said, adding that the safety and security of the students studying outside the state was the prime responsibility of the government.
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