Kashmiris queue up to become proud Indian Army officers

Terrorists might have killed 22 year-old Army officer Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz, but they could not kill the spirit and zeal of thousands of Kashmiri youth who lined up to join the Army to serve the motherland on Sunday.

More than 3,000 youths from Jammu and Kashmir appeared for the written exam for the selection of officers in the Territorial Army. Of whom, more than 800 youth hailed from the restive Kashmir valley alone, a figure which is almost double than the previous year.

The exam was conducted at Srinagar and Udhampur and youth were bubbling with zeal to join the Indian Army and serve the nation.

“Territorial Army, known as the Citizen’s Army, is a platform through which any Indian employed citizen can enroll and render service towards the nation. To get selected as an officer, the individual needs to clear a written exam followed by an interview,” said Colonel NN Joshi, defence spokesman at Northern Command Headquarters.

The youth of Jammu and Kashmir, Colonel Joshi said, have come forward and shown their willingness to join the Territorial Army and dedicate themselves for the selfless service to the nation.

The extraordinary rush to join the army has come at a time when Kashmir is still …read more