Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, Oct. 12 (EMN): Yuva Utsav 2022, district youth convention, organised by the Nehru Yuva Kendra, Mokokchung, in collaboration with Ao Students' Conference (AKM), was held at Fazl Ali College on October 11 on the theme ‘Take pride in our heritage and legacy.’
The special guest and SDO (C) of Mokokchung, Sentilong Ozukum, stated that India is the youngest nation with a median age of 28.4 years with 50% of the country’s population below 35 years. Ozukum added that in the next ten years, the country will largely depend on what the young people are doing today.
Stating that the younger generation has the rare opportunity to take the responsibility of carrying the country on their shoulders, he encouraged them to be prepared to carry out their task.
“The world is shrinking not into a global village but a global room. In the next thirty years India will be providing skills, excellence and expertise in various fields and young people need to be prepared. Today we need to zoom in into our skills, expertise, and innovation,” he said.
Dwelling on the theme, he said India is a legacy, the largest democracy in the world with principles of secularism, liberty, and equality, India is a diverse country with distinct religion, tribe, sub castes, race, and languages where people come together and live. He however, lamented that the foundation of this legacy and heritage is being shaken up today.
“Even if India becomes a superpower tomorrow with five trillion-dollar economy in the year 2030, if India by that time is a country where somebody or some authority is telling me what language to speak and what religion to follow, I would not be very comfortable living in that India no matter how advanced it is,” he asserted.
In this connection, he said “our heritage and legacy lies in the fact that there is diversity in the country, you and I are different, but together we live in unity and that is the spirit we need to take on for the next century and for the next decade.”
Four young achievers including Limalenden Longkumer, editor of Mokokchung Times; Vitolu Chishi, EAC of Mokokchung; Marshilu Pongen, entrepreneur; and Wapang Ozukum, artist and Governor awardee; also spoke at the event.
The keynote address was delivered by ST Haokip, NYK district youth officer, while the vote of thanks was pronounced by Nungdokyanger Ao, president of AKM.
The first session of the youth festival witnessed various kinds of competition including painting, photography, writing, declamation, and Yuva samvaad. Youth from different colleges in Mokokchung participated in the competition.