MY Bharath, Tamilnadu, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Sri Sairam Engineering College, Chennai organised a Kashmiri Youth Exchange Programme at Youth Hostel, Adyar from Nov.9 to 15.
132 Kashmiri youths selected from 6 districts of Kashmir – Anantnag, Kupwara, Baramulla, Budgam, Srinagar and Pulwama, along with 12 escorting officers of CRPF and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) participated.
A press release stated that the objective of the program was to:
- Promote national unity, integrity and peace among the young people in Kashmir Valley,
- Provide opportunities for the participants to visit different places of cultural, industrial, historical, religious and educational interest in the country,
- Help the participants develop an appreciative knowledge so that they understand their surroundings, misconceptions, gaps and situations that are prevailing in Kashmir Valley,
- Share the information on tourism, cuisine, culture, handicrafts and other products of Kashmir Valley,
- Provide an opportunity to understand, appreciate and compare each other understandings of socio-cultural, religious-political, economic as well as environmental situation
- Provide information and knowledge on the Constitution of India, duties and responsibilities of citizens, national integration, patriotism and national development,
- Expose Kashmiri youth to the technological and industrial advancements that have taken place in different states of the country, with a focus on various developmental activities, skill development, and educational and employment opportunities available there.
Thamizhachi Thangapandian, MP (South Chennai) inaugurated the programme on Nov.9, along with Prakash Govindasami, lAS – Principal Secretary (Agriculture Marketing and Agri-Business), Dr.B.Shamoondeswari, IPS – Inspector General of Police (General), M.Annadurai, IIS – AddI. Director General (Press Information Bureau & Central Bureau of Communication), Sai Prakash Leo Muthu – Chief Executive Officer (Sri Sairam Engineering College) and S.Senthilkumar – State Director (MY Bharath – Tamilnadu and Puducherry).
In the seven-day program, a variety of activities including academic sessions by experts, traditional folk performances of participating states, fitness activities, exposure visits, food festival, career guidance and a cleaning drive were held. The Kashmiri youths were also taken for exposure visits to the Secretariat, Kalakshetra Foundation, B.M Birla Planetarium, Seminar at Sri Sairam Engineering College, Marina Beach, Mahabalipuram etc. on various days. Participants also performed traditional folk dances of their region every evening.
