New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) A group of 33 Kashmiri school children from militancy-affected downtown area of Srinagar Tuesday met President Pratibha Patil under the aegis of the army's Operation Sadbhavana aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the people of the insurgency-hit state.

The children, along with two of their teachers and army officers, met Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan here. They were brought to the city by Lt. Col. H.P. Singh and Maj. B.K. Randhawa of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps.

The meeting was part of a fortnight long tour of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Ajmer for the students to give them a glimpse of the life in these cities and towns.

"Apart from sightseeing, the school children will be meeting some of the high-ranking officials of the Indian Army and civil dignitaries during the visit," an army release said here.

"The children will also get an opportunity to interact with other school children of different institutions and get a first-hand experience of the latest developments in all spheres of life outside Kashmir valley," it added.

The tour, which will end March 2, is to facilitate interaction between the Kashmiri school children and people of other parts of the country with a view to expose the former to the rich socio-cultural heritage of the country.