Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, at the Chief Minister residence, under the “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” campaign, interacted with youth who came from North-Eastern states. Under the three-day state tour program, these students going from Dehradun to Uttarkashi asked questions on various subjects to the Chief Minister, which the Chief Minister answered in detail.
During the interaction, a student of Tripura asked a question related to facilities and safety of students. In response to this, the Chief Minister said that in Uttarakhand, a large number of students come from the country and abroad for study, and their safety and facility is the top priority of the state government.
On the question asked by a student of Arunachal Pradesh regarding cultural exchange between Uttarakhand and North-Eastern states, the Chief Minister said that geographical and cultural conditions of both regions are quite similar, due to which the feeling of “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” becomes stronger.
On the question related to women empowerment, the Chief Minister told that in Uttarakhand more than 2 lakh 65 thousand women have become ‘Lakhpati Didi’. For empowerment of women, the state government has also fixed a gender budget of about ₹19 thousand crore.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, welcoming all the students coming from North-Eastern states to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, said that he is feeling happy being present among youth coming from North-Eastern states, called “Ashtalakshmi” of the country, and Himalayan regions like Ladakh. He said that these youth, with rich cultural heritage and unique identity of their respective states, are working to strengthen unity of the country.
The Chief Minister said that different dresses, languages, traditions and lifestyles of India realize the feeling of “unity in diversity.” Mentioning the natural beauty of North-East, he referred to mountain ranges of Arunachal Pradesh, tea gardens of Assam, Loktak Lake of Manipur, hills of Meghalaya, valleys of Mizoram, traditions of Nagaland, Kanchenjunga of Sikkim, and cultural heritage of Tripura.
The Chief Minister said that Uttarakhand and North-Eastern states are rich in natural resources, and in both regions an amazing combination of mountains, rivers, forests and tribal culture is seen. He said that like traditional fairs and festivals of Uttarakhand, festivals celebrated in North-East such as Bihu, Shad Suk Mynsiem, Cherry Blossom Festival and Nongkrem show cultural richness.
The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Narendra Modi, North-Eastern states are rapidly establishing new dimensions of development. In recent years, work at a large level has been done there in road, rail, air connectivity, trade, tourism and digital sector.
He said that considering youth as the power of nation building, through schemes like Startup India, Skill India, Digital India, Make in India and New Education Policy, new opportunities are being provided by the central government.
The Chief Minister called upon the youth to, after their education and skills, return to their areas and contribute in development and move the country forward through innovation.
The Chief Minister also appealed to the people of the state that they should behave respectfully with students coming from North-East and maintain the spirit of “Atithi Devo Bhava.” He said that the state government is also running helpline, awareness programs and anti-racism workshops for safety of North-East students.
He assured that in Uttarakhand all students are completely safe, and if anyone has any problem, they can convey their issue to the concerned institutions or the government.
During the program, Colonel Ajay Kothiyal and others were also present.
