Minister of State for Education, Culture and Tourism Priya Sethi today called for strengthening the bonds of unity and spirit of nationalism, maintaining that every citizen must rejoice the diverse characteristic of India which is the unique identification and strength of this great democratic nation in the world.Speaking at the Cultural session organzied for the students of Tamil Nadu under “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” programme at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra today, the Minister said that the idea of a cultural exchange between different states is aimed at to create mutual understanding amidst a shared history that will form a special unity in diversity among them.Under the programme, every State and UT in the country would be paired with another State/UT for a year, during which they would carry out a structured engagement with one another in the spheres of language, literature, cuisine, festivals, cultural events, tourism etc. The Jammu and Kashmir is partnered with Tamil Nadu for this year’s cultural exchange programme.
Vice Chancellor SMVDU, Prof. Sanjeev Jain, Additional CEO, SMVDSB, Dr. M K Kumar, Registrar SMVDU, V.K Bhat, Dean of Students, Dr.Yugal Khajuria, besides other faculty members and students were present on the occasion.The Minister said that the government is committed to carry forward the missionary programme of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” with enthusiasm which was mooted by him during the Rashtriya Ekta Divas held on 31st October, 2015 in connection with the commemoration of the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. She said the Jammu & Kashmir is a perfect bouquet of diverse tradition and culture and programmes like this will showcase the rich heritage, culture, customs and traditions of the State.Priya said that J&K and Tamil Nadu have immensely contributed for the development and progress of the country. She said Tamil Nadu is Asia’s oldest civilization; whereas J&K has a rich cultural heritage value of old civilization. One has given India Kancheepuram Silk and other Pashmina and Silk. Jammu is blessed by Vaishno Devi and Tamil Nadu has the blessings of Meenakshi temple, she added.The Minister said that the cultural department headed by Chief Minister has initiated various programmes to showcase the beauty of diversity of the state to the world.
Referring to heritage week celebrated recently, she said that about 40,000 students all over the state participated to know about their own culture and glorious history and through such programmes, they will be able to know about other states too.She asked the students of Tamil Nadu to visit the heritages sites, religious and other places of historical importance to know more about J&K’s magnificent history and sharing their experiences with others in their State.She lauded the efforts of Vice Chancellor for supporting the programme appropriately and making the visit of the students a memorable one.Folk singer from J&K Asha kesar who is popularly known for her traditional Bhakh singing enthralled the audiences through her mesmerizing performance.She was supported by Rakesh Mesih, Rajiv kumar, Girdhari Lal, Sonika Jamwal and Sudesh Manhas.Later, the Minister also visited the newly constructed Basohli Boys Hostel at SMVDU and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi College of Nursing and took stock of the infrastructure and facilities being provided to the students.