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Dimapur, Jan. 16 (EMN): Participants from North East India (NEI) at the ongoing National Youth Festival, organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, in collaboration with state government of Uttar Pradesh, went on a protest demonstration against the alleged discrimination by the organisers. The five-day national youth festival was held from January 12-16.
The youth festival, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on January 12 through video conferencing was held at Gautam Buddha University, Gautam Budh Nagar, Greater Noida.
Informing about the incident over the phone, Sanatomba Takhellambam, team leader of Manipur state, alleged that they were treated in a step-motherly attitude during the course of the festival by the organisers and other fellow Neharu Yuva Kendra (NYK) participants from the other states of India.
The organiser is deliberately making efforts to look down the participants of North East during the festival. They were not given time for performing their performances and left in lurch without any proper treatment, alleged Sanatomba.
Another, team leader from Nagaland, Asin Tep stated that one of the woman officials of the organising committee allegedly called the participants from North eastern states as “fool” and “untalented.” The organiser also ridiculed the participants as foreigners for not knowing and speaking Hindi language.
Taking the issue to the higher authority, the participants also made a written complaint to the Director General of Neharu Yuva Kendra Sangathan, New Delhi, intimidating about their dissatisfaction, grievances and against the mismanagement of the national youth festival.
In the complaint, it was stated that mistreatment was meted out against the participants of North East, while the Nagaland team was made to wait upto 17 hours for accommodation. Besides, the team was not allowed to take part in sports activities during the festival.
Around 200 participants took part in the festival, which aims to provide an arena by creating a “Mini-India,” where youth interact in formal and informal settings and exchange their social and cultural uniqueness.