Strongly advocating an attitudinal shift among the youth of the country, Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi on Monday said if the youth desired to see a secure India, they will not get involved in violence.
Inaugurating the seven-day tour of Puducherry by 200 youth from the Naxal-hit tribal districts of Bijapur, Sukma, Bastar and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh as part of the Tribal Youth Exchange Programme, the Lt. Governor said once the youth of the country start thinking about a secure India, violence of all kinds will stop.
“No one in the neighbourhood will get involved in violence or wrongdoings. Women will not get sexually abused. The security of the country remains in the hands of youth,” she said.
Stating that Swachhata was a movement, Ms. Bedi said it was not confined to a political party or region. “It is a movement for all in the country,” she said.
Urging tribal youth to give utmost importance to cleanliness, Ms. Bedi said people should utilise the financial assistance provided by the Centre to construct toilets. They should also help create awareness among relatives and the community to make the country open defecation free, she added.
The Lt. Governor stressed on the need to create a healthy environment for a better future. She also stressed upon compassion, service to the society and better education for building a strong and secure country.
Parliamentary secretary to the Chief Minister K. Lakshminarayanan. in his address, said the youth should come forward to develop the country. Social service as a habit will help youngsters from getting diverted to other activities, he said.
“We should all be proud of our unity in diversity. Puducherry is the best example to show how people with different identities can live in a cohesive and peaceful manner,” he said.
National chairman of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) S. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy and State director of NYKS, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, M.N. Nataraj also spoke.
Healthy environment
The tour programme, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs and NYKS, was launched in 2006 with the aim to provide a platform to the youth of naxal-hit districts to understand the diversity of the country in terms of culture, language, food and lifestyle. It was also aimed at educating the youth on the developments that take place in other parts of the country.
