Tuesday, Mar 18, 2025 09:30 [IST]
Last Update: Monday, Mar 17, 2025 16:36 [IST]
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.