8th North East Youth Festival kicks off in Gangtok

JASWANT GAUTAM & IPR

GANGTOK, : The 8th North East Youth Festival 2025 got underway today in Gangtok. The inaugural session held at Paljor Stadium was attended by Governor Om Prakash Mathur as the chief guest and Speaker Mingma Norbu Sherpa as the guest of honour.

This year's festival is themed “Empowered Youth, Empowered Region – My Bharat, Viksit Bharat” and has Red Panda, the State animal, as the mascot.

Governor Om Prakash Mathur began his speech by reiterating that despite the social and cultural differences among people, everyone is fundamentally one human being.

He spoke about the significance of the 8th North East Youth Festival as an event to unite and celebrate the vibrant and dynamic youth from across the North East.  He urged the youth to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the festival to engage in meaningful exchanges and collaborative efforts. 

The Governor acknowledged that the youth of Sikkim and the North East have always been at the forefront of progress, innovation and nation-building, making the festival a crucial platform to showcase their creativity and leadership. He also highlighted the strides the region has made in sectors like education, sports, culture and entrepreneurship.

The Governor emphasized that the youth are key to India's future, and their dedication and innovation will shape the nation’s growth.  He also highlighted the priority given by Prime Minister NarendraModi towards North East State through various schemes. 

The Governor wished the participants a warm stay in Sikkim and hoped that the festival unites the youth of the North East region leading to fulfilling objectives of Vikashit Bharat 2047.

In her welcome address, Sports & Youth Affairs secretary Yangchen Doma Tamang emphasized the North East's unique identity shaped by its cultural art forms and the indomitable spirit of its youth. She informed that the festival, whcil will run till March 20, will feature a mix of competitive and non-competitive events including solo guitar performances, folk songs and dances, one-act plays, war of bands, quiz competitions, traditional folk performances, Yuva Kriti, food festivals, live skills, adventure programs, and martial arts demonstrations. Tamang said these events are designed to help shape the youth's mind-set and prepare them for a prosperous, inclusive and self-reliant North East, aligned with the vision of a Viksit Bharat.

Madhavi Mohan, deputy secretary to the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, spoke about the festival's significance. She noted that the festival embodies the spirit, talent and culture of the North East and provides an opportunity for deeper immersion into the region's heritage through various art forms.

Mohan also highlighted the importance of this year’s theme, which, she said, aligns with the nation’s goal of empowering youth and transforming regions into hubs of growth, development and progress. Mohan emphasized that this platform allows youth from the North East to showcase their talent, exchange cultures and celebrate the potential of a united and developed India.

 Earlier, the Governor declared the 8th North East Youth Festival 2025 open. It was followed by cultural parade by the participating State of the North East along with participants from National Service Scheme (NSS) and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS). It is to be noted that Sikkim is hosting the event for the second time.

The event is organised by State Sports and Youth Affairs department in collaboration with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, NSS and NYKS. The event will see participants of more than 1500 youths from the North East region.