Bandipora, Aug 17: More than 10,000 students from schools across Bandipora district gathered at Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium to form a massive human map of India on Monday.
The scale of the event, held under a blazing summer sun, prompted local officials to admit they need to do more to match the youth’s civic dedication.
Dressed in school uniforms and matching green caps created the formation, the crowd sang national anthem as the map took shape.
For the participating students, the intense heat was a secondary concern.
“We have made a map of India here. The students are very happy, the teachers are also very happy, and this is looking very beautiful,” said Jannat-ul-Fiza, a student at Government Girls High School, Plan, Bandipora. “We should respect our country, respect our tricolour because this is the one thing a person always remembers.”
Local cadet groups were drafted in to help manage the crowd.
Rameez Ahmad Ganie, a National Cadet Corps (NCC) member from Nadihal Memorial Higher Secondary, said his unit was specially invited to support the event.
“More than 10,000 children have come here,” Ganie said. “Everyone is happy that we got the opportunity to participate in this programme.”
Another student at the rally described the human formation as a symbol of “our confidence, our unity, our strength,” and urged other young people to develop a love for their nation.
The large turnout and discipline of the youth had a visible impact on local leadership.
Deputy Commissioner Indu Kanwal Chib, who watched the event from the sidelines, said the students’ endurance served as a reality check for the district administration.
“The sun is so intense, yet these children have formed the map of the entire country here,” Chib told reporters. “And with such warmth and enthusiasm. I mean, in front of them, we sometimes feel ashamed. Seeing their excitement makes us feel a sense of shame that we are not doing enough and we need to be doing more.”
She credited the district’s education sector for pulling off the gathering, rather than the civil administration.
“The praise goes to their teachers. It goes to their schools, their teachers who made them so confident and excited,” Chib said. “I am really happy today; it’s a wonderful, exciting day.”
