Kohima: India’s ace soccer star and youth icon from Sikkim Baichung Bhutia has said that youth from the Northeast have important voice and called upon young people of the region to connect and bridge the gap between North-East India and mainland India.
Speaking as the Chairman at the North East Young Leaders’ Connect Conference at Kisama yesterday, Baichung said that it was important to be a part of the nation as a whole, and asserted that young achievers can do the job of bridging that gap to be a part of India.
He stated that the long lasting relationship between the North-East states can be strengthened more if the people come together.
The conference will also open a new era of business investment and economic development by mutual cooperation among the youth leaders of the region.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, whose message was read out on the occasion, said the need of the hour is for young leaders to connect to affect political, social, and economic development of the country from the young leaders’ perspective. Rio said the North East States are not just neighbours, but have so many things in common like culture, tradition, practices, approach and way of life and also faces common challenges of insurgency, anti-social elements, economy and political issues of common interest.
He also stated that many youths of the region have been misled by the chaos and confusion of lawlessness in the region created by anti-social elements, whose main agenda is to destabilise the state governments’ polity to meet their selfish ends. He, however, expressed happiness over the genuine concern and painstaking effort of many young people in the region, who are working tirelessly to bring change. (UNI)