DIMAPUR, Sept 15 - Nagaland Governor PB Acharya has stressed the need for people-to-people programme between the Northeastern States and mainland India so that the people of North East would not have a sense of deprivation.
In order to develop a sense of unity and oneness, people-to-people programme through education is the only way to bring people of different regions into a common platform, he said at a people-to-people interaction programme at Raj Bhavan in Kohima yesterday.
Held under the initiative of the Governor, Nagaland Minister for School Education Yitachu along with Vice Chancellor and faculty members from NITTE University, Mangalore, principals and faculty members of different colleges of Nagaland also attended the programe.
Acharya cited NITTE University, Mangalore as an instance where the university has set up NAMASTE Department for the North East students with special emphasis on promotion and propagation of tribal dialects.
He said the Naga society is still lacking the concept of paying back to the society through the empowered and the well educated. Therefore, he urged NITTE University to organise innovative programmes such as people-to-people cultural exchange programmes which would benefit not only a section of people but also the general public at large.
NITTE University Vice Chancellor Dr S Ramananda Shetty said the main objective of the interaction was to connect NE students with that of the university besides conceptualising the ideas and programmes for the interest of North East. He also emphasised the importance of social responsibility by saying, �we are all one and we are all Indians.� As such the people from the mainland should pave ways and means for the region so as to bring the region at par with the rest of the country, he added.
He stated that education, health care and banking are the three core areas to remove people�s suffering. He added that the university has already started certificate course and with the passage of time activities such as cultural exchange programmes, students and faculty exchange programmes, skill development programme, etc., between the educational institutes of NE and the university could be imparted in due course of time.
