Date:04/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/04/stories/2007030420090400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Memorable and educative visit

Staff Reporter

ON A BREAK: Schoolchildren from Jammu and Kashmir, who are on a tour of south India, wave from a bus at the MEG and Centre in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: For the first time in her life, sixth standard student Pooja Thakur set her eyes on a computer. "It looks more advanced than the typewriter used by the man near our post office," she exclaimed.

Pooja, who hails from a village in Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, was awed that the computer was being used for games by children of her age. She is among the 30 girls from various government schools in Rajouri district on their first-ever tour of south India

The education-cum-motivational tour is part of the Indian Army's "Operation Sadbhavana" to expose the people of Jammu and Kashmir to different parts of the country. The children were here in the city on the last leg their 15-day sojourn.

In Bangalore, they visited the Vidhana Soudha, and spent some time with Chief Secretary P.B. Mahishi. They also visited Cubbon Park and ISKCON temple before going to the campus of the Madras Engineer Group and Centre and admiring its museum. They went to Trishna Yacht Club where they had the feel of the long boats used by MEG men participating in international kayaking and canoeing competitions.

"It has been a long and fascinating tour," said 11th standard student Beena, mopping her brow. "Some of us had to use a lot of persuasion to get our parents' consent," said her friend Pinky Sharma. These girls left by a train from Jammu on February 17 to reach Thiruvananthapuram on February 20. "I enjoyed the visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre ," said seventh standard student Saloni Datta.

"These girls have never had an opportunity to visit places outside Jammu and Kashmir. We want to widen their horizon," said Meena Kumari, the teacher accompanying them.