Kashmir Inspector General of Police Sujit Kumar on Tuesday, 16 September urged students in Srinagar to place their trust in teachers and parents while firmly rejecting drugs, online betting, and the lure of 'easy pleasures' — cautioning that shortcuts could lead young people toward irreversible harm. The IGP addressed parents, teachers, and students at a school function in Srinagar, delivering one of the more candid public advisories by a senior police officer in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months.

Key Warnings to Students

Speaking directly to the student audience, IGP Kumar described social media as a breeding ground for traps — from betting rackets to fraud networks. 'Many types of nets in today's date, a demon, a ghost, a jinn is roaming on social media, who will trap you in the net. To get out of this, you have to move forward in a strong direction,' he said.

He urged young people to resist the pull of instant gratification. 'Stay away from drugs, social media traps like betting, etc., and never seek easy pleasure as you prepare for a great future. You should reject shortcuts and easy pleasure,' the IGP told the gathering.

Message on Strength and Discipline

The senior officer's address was notably motivational in tone, urging students to treat self-discipline as a form of strength rather than restriction. 'Never, never say never again. You have all the capabilities, imagination, all the strength, so fight, fight with your desires, fight with your illegitimate wishes, and be hard, be strong,' Kumar said. He added that students should draw guidance from their teachers and coaches and channel it toward building a purposeful future.

He also invoked a lesson from his own schooling, describing a teacher's analogy: 'Civilisation is like a rose in your garden, and culture is the fragrance of that rose, that flower. You can cut the rose from its branches, but you can't cut its fragrance from the rose, from the flower.' The IGP applied this to Jammu and Kashmir's cultural identity, expressing confidence that a strong cultural foundation would help shield children from emerging social threats.

School's Historic Legacy Recalled

Referencing the institution's origins, IGP Kumar noted that the school was founded by its first principal, J.H. Nollis, with just five students in 1890. He also acknowledged the legacy of Canon C.S. Tyndale Biscoe, under whose stewardship student strength grew from approximately 200 to 1,000 — a journey the IGP characterised as one of 'success, hard work, dedication.'

Broader Context: J&K's Youth and Online Risks

The address comes amid growing concern among law enforcement agencies across India about the exploitation of young people through online platforms — particularly illegal betting apps, cyber fraud, and drug supply chains that increasingly use social media for outreach. In Jammu and Kashmir, authorities have repeatedly flagged the dual threat of narcotics and digital manipulation targeting school and college students. IGP Kumar's remarks reflect that institutional concern translated into direct community engagement.

He also called on students who leave Kashmir for other parts of the country to carry the region's cultural identity with pride. 'I would like the kids who have come out of this school in Kashmir, to go to the different corners of the country, and tell them what soil they have come from, and what is the strength of Kashmir,' he said. The event, which brought together participants from outside Jammu and Kashmir as well, was described by the IGP as a 'great fusion of cultures' between the Himalayan valleys of Shimla and Kashmir.