CM Omar to KU graduates

Srinagar, Feb 26: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday asked the graduating students of the University of Kashmir (KU) to carry the spirit of Kashmiriyat wherever life takes them.

In his address at the 21st convocation of KU, CM Omar, who is also the pro-chancellor of the university, asked the students that the road from Naseem Bagh leads to the world.

“Go to Bengaluru, go to Berlin, go to London, but carry the fragrance of these Chinars in your heart,î he said. ìIn the pursuit of your careers, do not lose your Kashmiriyat, the spirit of tolerance, compassion and resilience. Whether you go to New York, New Delhi, or stay here in Srinagar, carry the values of this soil with you.î

The CM said, “Our strength has always been our ability to stand tall despite the storms. The motto of this university is, ‘Let us move from darkness to light.’ Today, you are that light. May it shine bright, may it shine true and may it lead J&K to its rightful place among the leaders of the world. We are not merely on a university campus but in a sanctuary of wisdom that predates many modern nations.”

Invoking the centuries-old Chinar trees of Naseem Bagh surrounding the KU campus, he said these chinars had seen the seasons change for centuries and ìwitnessed the ebb and flow of history, the silence of heavy winters, and the vibrant renewal of spring.î

ìStanding here at Naseem Bagh, one cannot help but be humbled. To look at you today, the graduating students and PhD recipients, is to see the spring of J&K in full bloom,î CM Omar said.

He termed the ceremony a ìday of successionî where students were succeeding generations that ìkept the flame of knowledge alive through difficult times.î

The CM called the graduating students ìtorchbearers” and quoted the legendary Kashmiri mystic poetess Lal Ded, ìI asked my teacher a thousand times, what is the one thing I must learn? He said, to know myself.î

ìToday, your formal education may end, but your education of the self begins. Who are you in the context of todayís J&K, what is your role in the story of 2026,î he said.

CM Omar asked the students to acknowledge the role of their parents.

ìTo the parent who stayed up through the cold nights ensuring the Kangri (fire pot) was warm and the tea was hot while you studied, or the parent who worked tirelessly in the orchards or in the offices or on the borders to support your education, this degree belongs to them,î he said.

Quoting Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the CM reminded the students that heaven lies under the feet of their mother.

“As students walked across the stage, they were walking on the dreams and sacrifices of their elders,” he said.

CM Omar also lauded the faculty for mentoring souls and teaching discernment in an era of information overload.

“For this, the government and people of J&K owe you a debt of gratitude,” he said.

Referring to his recent 2026-27 budget presentation in the Legislative Assembly, the CM described it as a ìfiscal compassî and ìnot just a ledger of figures,î but a declaration of intent to transform J&Kís economy.

ìFor too long, our economy was viewed through a narrow lens. We were just tourism or just agriculture. But the J&K of 2026 is becoming a hub for innovation and participatory governance,î he said.

CM Omar acknowledged the trauma of 2025 and the economic setbacks that followed while asserting that resilience had defined the region.

He said his government was focused on three pillars – meritocracy, sustainability, and digital sovereignty.

The CM said that the ìmost inspiring statisticî of the convocation was that out of nearly 60,000 degrees and medals awarded, over 60 percent had been earned by women.

ìThis is the most powerful weapon we have against poverty and instability,î he said.

CM Omar said that the government had moved ìfrom womenís welfare to women-led development.î

He said that through the Umeed Scheme, 7 lakh women had been organised into 80,000 Self-Help Groups, leading to the rise of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ who had become financial anchors in their villages.

The CM also cited interest-free soft loans for women-led startups in manufacturing and IT.

ìTo the women graduates today, you are not just the future of your families. You are the architects of our social fabric. When a woman is educated, an entire generation is uplifted,î he said.

CM Omar expressed hope to see them in civil services, biotech laboratories and on the global stages.

He called tourism J&Kís ìlifelineî and stressed the need for evolution.

The CM said that the government was pioneering border tourism in villages like Keren, Gurez, and Teetwal and working with the Centre to develop nine new destinations.

He cautioned against environmental degradation saying that glaciers were receding and winters were changing.

CM Omar advocated for investments in sustainable infrastructure, including artificial snow technology in Gulmarg and promotion of eco-tents over concrete hotels.

ìWe must ensure that the tourism of tomorrow does not destroy the nature of today,î he said.

The CM called upon environmental science graduates to help create a green standard for Kashmiri hospitality.

He described agriculture as the ìcultural soulî of the people and stressed the need for modernisation through a ìhigh-density revolutionî and technological integration to connect orchards to global markets like London and Dubai.

ìWe need apps for real-time pest detection in our orchards. We need blockchain for traceability so a buyer in New York knows their saffron is truly from Pampore,î CM Omar said.

He said J&K was being positioned as a data-friendly zone with its cool climate ideal for green data centres.

“The administration is restructuring industrial policy to incentivise knowledge-based industries and research and development centres. We donít just want factories, we want research and development centres,î the CM said.

He said that biotech graduates should not have to look to Pune or Hyderabad for opportunities.

ìWe want those laboratories here in the shadows of the Zabarwan range,î CM Omar said.

He said mental health was such a subject but often omitted from formal speeches.

ìOur society has walked a path of immense pressure and trauma,î the CM said.

He announced the expansion of district-level counselling through Mission Youth and urged psychology and social work graduates to destigmatise mental health conversations.

ìSuccess is not just a high salary, it is a peaceful mind and a resilient heart,î CM Omar said.

He said that development required ìthe oxygen of peaceî and assured a transparent, democratic, and stable environment. The CM said recruitment reforms aimed to replace recommendation with qualification.

ìWhether you are the son or daughter of a Shikarawala or the daughter of a minister, your merit must be your only currency,î he said.

CM Omar said that restoring the dignity and status of Jammu and Kashmir required an empowered and educated citizenry.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’, he urged graduates not to wait for the future but to define it.

ìIf you see a problem in your village, solve it with the science you learned here. If you see an injustice, speak out with the ethics you refined here. If you see a dream, chase it with the resilience you inherited from this soil,î the CM said.