Srinagar, Oct 1: The Jammu and Kashmir Police will roll out a series of sports and recreational events in the coming days, including a cycle race, Jashn-e-Dal and a water-sports event on Dal Lake, as part of a sustained push to draw youth away from drugs and into constructive activity, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Armed Police, Kashmir, Nitish Kumar, said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters after flagging off the Kashmir Marathon 2026—Run for Unity, organised by the J&K Police in Srinagar, ADGP Armed said the force would continue to build platforms that engage young people through sport and other positive pursuits. “Very soon, there will be a cycle race here. The most anticipated event is Jashn-e-Dal. There is also a water sports event on Dal Lake, which will be held within a few days,” he said.
The marathon itself, he said, had drawn a response beyond expectations, with participants from different sections of society and runners from outside Jammu and Kashmir taking part. Congratulating the participants, Nitish Kumar described the sportsman spirit on display as encouraging. “The biggest thing is the sportsman spirit. You can see that people from all categories are participating. This is a good thing,” he said.
Linking the turnout to a wider concern, the ADGP said today’s youth were changing rapidly and risked becoming “the aggressors of the future” if left without constructive outlets. “It is very important because we can see that today’s youth is constantly changing. They are becoming the aggressors of the future,” he said.
On substance abuse, Nitish Kumar identified drugs and alcohol as among the major sources of addiction in society. He said the J&K Police had already shown how children and youth could be pulled back from drug abuse, and that the Nasha Mukt Abhiyan formed part of a continuing campaign against the menace rather than a one-off drive.
Police officials have repeatedly framed sporting events, youth outreach and the Nasha Mukt Abhiyan as linked strands of the same effort: reducing idle time, building peer networks around sport, and offering an alternative to the drug networks that have taken a heavy toll on young people in the Valley. The forthcoming cycle race, Jashn-e-Dal and the Dal Lake water-sports event are being positioned in that sequence—public, visible activities meant to keep the anti-drug message in circulation after the marathon.
The ADGP’s remarks come against the backdrop of police-led campaigns that have combined enforcement against peddlers with community programmes aimed at students, families and local youth groups. Thursday’s marathon, officials indicated, was one more occasion to carry that message into a large public gathering, with the next events intended to sustain the momentum in the days ahead.
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