Shri K. Muraleedharan, MLA,

Shri O. Rajagopal, MLA,

Shri I.B. Satheesh, MLA,

Shri K. Kunhahammed, State Director, Nehru Yuva Kendra,

Shri G.P. Sajith Babu, Regional Director, National Service Scheme,

Shri Ali Sabrin, District Youth Coordinator,

Dear young delegates from the North East,

Friends in Media,

Sahodaree Sahodaranmaare,

Ellaavarkkum Ente Namaskaaram,

       It gives me great joy to be in your midst to inaugurate the North East Cultural Exchange Programme organized jointly by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Nehru Yuva Kendra, which is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.  At the outset, let me place on record, my appreciation for the efforts taken by  the Nehru Yuva Kendra of Thiruvananthapuram to organize this programme.

       As we all know, the Nehru Yuva Kendra which was established in 1972 has now grown into the largest grass-roots level youth organization, channelizing youth power on the principles of voluntarism, self help and community participation. Nehru Yuva Kendra has been actively offering our rural youth in the age group of 13 to 35 years, avenues to participate in nation building as well as opportunities for the development of their personality and skills.

          I have been informed that over 250 youth from eight North Eastern States namely, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura are attending today's programme. On behalf of the people of Kerala, I greet and welcome all of them to this beautiful State, known to the world as God's Own Country.

       Our former President, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan once observed that for a civilization and for the world to continue, we need youth. He described the spirit of youth as a flexibility of mind, spirit of adventure and the eagerness to improve on the past. Today, the world is becoming a global village, physically, economically and in many other ways.  Ideas take only a few seconds to spread across the globe.
Inter-dependence and global cooperation have become the way of life in this century. If we are to grow up as world citizens, we should first of all, be aware of the life and ideals of societies around us, especially in our country.  The relevance of this Youth Exchange Programme is that it aims to create such an awareness among the youth of different societies.

       Like many other democracies, our nation is also facing many issues including insurgency and unrest in some parts including the North Eastern States. It is quite sad to see the spirit of adventure and energy of young people being    exploited by those who incite violence and unrest in society. As a nation, we have a responsibility to save our youth from being misdirected by people and organizations with vested interests. Since understanding is key to the creation of awareness and a spirit of nation building, we have to ensure the most socially meaningful interactions for the youth. 

       The youth power has fascinated many of our great thinkers. Swamy Vivekananda, for instance, believed that with a few young men and women who were pure and selfless, he could shake the world. The great Statesmen who framed our Constitution gave us the duty of creating a caste-less and classless society, would certainly have expected the involvement of our youth in such a noble effort. Undoubtedly, such a social transformation can become a reality only if national resources, development and opportunities for growth reach every citizen, especially the youth, regardless of gender, religion or caste.

       Personally, I believe that better education and involvement in social activities can trigger positive thinking and hope among our youth. Today, facilities for education have improved thanks to the advances in science and technology, but improving our employability has become more important. Today's education has to look beyond the standard syllabus and text books and concentrate on Technical or Hard Skills, Soft Skills or Life Skills and a professional approach to work, coupled with the ability to handle stress. I am reminded of an old proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you empower him to feed himself and others for a lifetime. Thus, skill based education can change the life as well as philosophy of life of an individual, and nurture in him or her, a sense of belonging.

       I am happy that this Exchange programme includes education on the Fundamental duties of citizens, as envisaged in the Directive Principles of our Constitution. Those duties are also a pointer to the social issues that require the positive involvement of our youth.

       I would also request my young friends from the North east to look around for people from your States in Kerala. Talk to them, if you can; they will tell you how well they are treated in Kerala. In fact, we are the first to call them our guest workers; other States call them migrant workers. The people of Kerala have recognized their contribution to the growth of the State and we have started Literacy, Health and Housing Schemes for them.

        I hope Nehru Yuva Kendra would provide you an opportunity to look at some of our customs and art forms. You may wonder at their similarities with the culture and art forms of your States. All these point to the unseen, but strong cultural bonds that unite us as a nation. We may appear on the map of India in different colors and in different geographical shapes, but it is our diversity that binds India together and we are duty bound to respect this diversity.

       I understand that some of the participants of this programme have come from strategic areas in the North East which have suffered on account of the various ethnic issues and the methods used to handle such issues.  I hope you would take the lessons learned in Kerala to address the developmental issues in your States. I wish you the strength and positive attitude to become change agents in your societies.

       I once again congratulate the Ministry of Home Affairs and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan for organizing this programme. I also compliment the Thiruvananthapuram Nehru Yuva Kendra for conducting this function in a befitting manner.

Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal

Nanni

Jai Hind