Police and civil administration in Anantnag organized a “counselling session” for youth who were granted amnesty by government in stone pelting cases.

The session was “aimed to build an understanding to find ways and means to prevent recurrence of violent incidents in future and to develop confidence among the youth,” a police spokesman said.

During the session, the spokesman said, “a patient hearing was given to the participant.”

“ Most of the boys were of opinion that getting involved in stone pelting on their part inflicts irreparable damage to the social fabric, which is not good to anybody but creates chaos and anarchy.”

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anantnag Altaf Ahmad urged youth to concentrate on their career and work hard to make up the loss they suffered in their education from past years.

Besides senior police and civil administration officials including DC Anantnag Mohammad Younis, several youth and their parents and some “prominent citizens” were present on the occasion, the spokesman said.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had last month announced amnesty for over four thousand youth of first-time stone-pelters reportedly on the recommendation of the Government of India’s “representative” for Jammu and Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma.