Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said that no one can prevent India from becoming a super power if the country’s youth inculcate positive attitude and channelise their energy towards positive direction to transform the nation into a ‘vibrant India’.
Speaking at the inaugural function of the five-day long 19th National Youth Festival, which got off to a colourful start here, Mr. Rijuju said no other country in the world has so much cultural diversities and identities as India. He appealed to the participating youth to play the key role in ending discrimination in the country and hoped that they would realise, over the five days of the festival, that India is for everyone and the participants would no longer feel that he or she belongs to a particular state or region.
Declaring the festival open, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that India’s strength lies in unity in diversity and the country’s youth with their vibrancy, creativity and imagination have helped it grow stronger and stronger. Saying that the festival has turned the city into a ‘mini-India’, Mr Gogoi said that participating youth reflected the cultural variety and richness of India through their colourful dances and dresses. “Though I am 80-year-old, I am feeling much younger in the company of the youth from all over the country. Guwahati has become a beautiful garden, much more beautiful than Mughal Garden,” he added.
Union Minister of State (Independent charge) Sports and Youth Affairs Sarbananda Sonowal, who chaired the inaugural function, said that India is the youngest among the nations with 65 per cent of the country’s total population under 35 years of age and youth of the country should shoulder the responsibility of developing the nation best utilising their creative talent.
