Srinagar, Aug 9: The Army is organising Jashn-e-Azadi trek from August 9 to 13.
A statement of the Army issued here said, “As the entire nation reels in the celebration of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate the glorious 75 years of India’s independence, Army is organising Jashn-e-Azadi for the Awam of Gurez to celebrate the illustrious occasion with élan and pride.”
It said: “As part of the drive inaugurated by Prime Minister to commemorate the glorious occasion of 75 years of India’s Independence, Jashn-e-Azadi, a weeklong festival is being organised by the Army from August 9 to 15 in Gurez to strengthen the nationalistic fervour of the Awam, promote the rich and varied cultural heritage of Gurez and to attract more tourists to the scenic Gurez valley. The festival also aims at catalysing the socio-economic development of Gurez by skilling and guiding the local youth of the valley in order to provide them with avenues of self-employment through the blossoming tourism industry of Gurez.”
The Army statement said, “One such initiative to boost the tourism and skill of local youth is the Jashn-e-Azadi trek which is being organised by the Army and Boots and Crampons, an international award winning trekking company, with accolades of having successfully scaled seven peaks across five continents, apart from numerous other prominent treks in India. The Jashn-e-Azadi trek aims at exploring the unexplored Patalwan Alpine lakes, which is one amongst the many other unexplored treks of Gurez. A team of 27 trekkers from different part of the country along with 10 local trekkers were flagged off today from the Jashn-e-Gurez campsite in Dawar by Tehsildar Gurez Tariq Ahmed Bhat and an officer from the Army who presented the team leader with a tricolour which would be established at the Alpine Lake for the first time in history.”
It said that the enthusiastic trekkers plan to summit on 11 August 2021 and spend a night in the pristine environment of the Patalwan Lake before finishing their trek at Dawar on 13 August 2021.
The statement said that the participants and the local trekkers accompanying the expedition would be provided participation and ‘on the job training’ certification by ‘Boots and Crampons’ and the Army, which would further aid and assist them to pursue the sport or take it up as a profession to earn their livelihood.
“These small initiatives by the Army and the district administration will put Gurez on the tourism world map and connect the remote valley with the mainland and also align Gurez with the national aim of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative being carried out in different parts of the country,” the Army statement said.