By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Governor RS Mooshahary on Thursday impressed upon the need for educational institutions to imbibe a spirit of togetherness most importantly on the acceptance of students as one identity, being the Indian identity.
“If the education has not been able to instill an Indian identity amongst the students then education has failed to imbibe into the youngsters an Indian spirit”, Mooshahary said
Mooshahary was addressing an inaugural function of an inter-State youth exchange programme and Home stay, a programme of the ministry of sport and youth affairs, Government of India at Bharat Scouts and Guides Hall here on Thursday.
Over 200 volunteers from over 10 states and union territories arrived in Shillong to participate in a 10-day stay in Meghalaya. The states included Kerela, Karnataka, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.
Stressing on the importance of relating and living with each other, Mooshahary said “We are a diversified country but we hold one identity and no matter which community one belongs to, he is first and foremost an Indian then comes his second identity be it Bengalee, Malayali, Keralite or Khasi.”
The Governor also asked the youth from the northern and southern states to forego the habit of identifying a person by his/her facial expression while referring to the north eastern people who on several occasions are being mistaken for a Chinese or a Korean.
Meanwhile, commissioner of the Bharat Scouts and Guides and secretary education FR Kharkongor spoke at length on the dynamism and passion of the youth in becoming true agents in nation building.
“With the power and energy, the youth can bring about a needed change and a total transformation”, he said while quoting a phrase coined by a young scout–“Youth we are, change we want, build we can”.
In the programme, various activities, academic sessions and home stay for the participants who will be staying in Shillong till December 1.
The aims and objectives of this programme and Home Stay included personality development, to imbibe the value of national and emotional integration, to appreciate others traditional and cultural heritage, to learn their different life style, language, culture and historical values, to understand the family life situation, a nucleus of the society and to know the geographical economic, social and cultural characteristics.
The others who were present in the function included Youth Officer of NSS Guwahati Sunil KR Basumatary, State Liaison Officer of NSS Dr H Iangrai and NEHU NSS programme Coordinator Dr Jemino Mawthoh besides others.