Shun militancy, choose other ways to register protest: Omar to

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked the youth to adopt other ways to express their resentment against the government rather than joining militancy which has brought nothing but "destruction and devastation" to the state.
"There is no good in this -- neither their own or their family nor this state. We have seen the destruction of the gun for the last 25 years. If it had done something good for us, I would have accepted. But it has not achieved a single thing for our benefit.
"So, in such a situation, it would be better that they (youth) use any other way to either express their resentment or to get their rights," Omar told reporters here.

The chief minister said the number of people joining militant ranks was gradually coming down and the state government has endeavoured to counsel those people and save them from destruction.
"It is true that few of our people joined the militant groups when they started. But the truth is that every year there is a gradual decrease in those numbers.
"This year as well, some people either got compelled or were compelled to tread the wrong path, but it is our continuous endeavour to counsel them, show them the right way and save them from the destruction, because there is nothing else in this (militancy) than destruction and devastation," he said.

The chief minister denied reports of educated youth joining militancy, saying "we have not received any such information".

Omar, who is also the working president of National Conference, said there was no hurry in issuing another list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections.
"We have issued two lists so far. I do not know what is the hurry, because there are parties which have not issued even a single list. When they move forward on that, we will also," he said.
While the principal opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced its candidates on most of the seats, Congress and BJP have not issued any names so far.