Jammu, Feb 06: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Thursday interacted with the youth from North-Eastern states visiting Jammu under ABVP’s Students’ Experience in Inter-State Living (SEIL) initiative, at Convention Centre.
The Lieutenant Governor called upon the youth to work collectively to build a strong and Viksit Bharat.
“I want our youth to focus on the needs and aspirations of weaker and vulnerable sections of the society so that they are able to participate in the development process and contribute to all-round progress,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
In his address, the Lieutenant Governor commended the initiative by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) aimed at promoting oneness and providing opportunities to youth to experience Unity in Diversity.
The Lieutenant Governor said, “I am extremely proud that as the world’s largest student organization, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, since its inception, is making a significant contribution in strengthening the spirit of unity and brotherhood by eliminating geographical distance and has connected the youth with the cultural roots of India.
The SEIL programme, launched in 1965, has created an emotional bridge between the youth of the North-East region and the rest of the country. This wonderful initiative with its motto -One Nation – One People – One Culture, is playing a pivotal role in realizing the vision of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” and enabling youth to live and understand Unity in Diversity in real sense.”
The distinctive feature of the SEIL programme is that each student stays with a local family, which does not treat them as guests but as family members. This allows students to understand local culture and lifestyle while host families also get an opportunity to experience Bharat’s cultural diversity.
“The main basis of the unity amidst diversity is our emotional bond and all the students must have felt it among the families during their stay in Jammu. I hope the ideals and values of unity that the youth have learnt during their visit will always guide them throughout their life,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor also spoke on the development journey of North-East States under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He paid tributes to the prominent personalities from North-East states and recalled their contribution to nation building.
The Lieutenant Governor urged the people to visit the North-East region in large numbers and experience their natural beauty and warm hospitality. He further asked the visiting youth to be the ambassadors of the new Jammu Kashmir.
On the occasion, the students from the North-East states also shared their experience of SEIL programme. The host families where the young delegates stayed during the tour were also felicitated by the Lieutenant Governor.
This year, under the SEIL initiative, 30 students from Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim visited Jammu and each student got the opportunity to live as a member of a local family. During their stay in Jammu, the delegates also experienced various interactive sessions, cultural programs and educational visits to understand the rich heritage and traditions of the region.
Yudhvir Sethi and Dr Narinder Singh Raina – Members of Legislative Assembly; Dr Nagesh Thakur, Special Invitee & Member, National Executive Council, ABVP; Dr Ajay Sharma, President, ABVP J&K; Sanak Shrivats, Secretary, ABVP J&K, and other members of ABVP and youth in large number were present.
