Rijiju advocates respect as a key to national integrity

Our Reporter
Dimapur, July 29 (EMN): The union minister of state for Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju, on Wednesday emphasised on the importance of integration for the empowerment of people from the northeast stating, “Respecting and accepting those from other regions is the key to national integrity.”

The minister was addressing a webinar organised by the National Commission for Women (NCW) on ‘Issues and challenges faced by North-eastern women in metropolitan cities and empowering them’.

The minister advocated on good relations among all concerned states saying, “we, the north eastern people will have to understand that unless we initiate and open our arms, unless we lay the red carpet for others to come, the government’s help (and) the prime minister’s package on the northeast will not lead to an extraordinary change on the ground.”

He said that ‘we (Indians) lack the culture to try and know the other cultures better and would rather prefer to stay confined to oneself or one region.’

“Respecting and accepting those from other regions is the key to national integrity. When the northeast region as a whole will do better, people from other parts of the country will come to the northeast,” said Rijiju.

The minister said the northeast states do not have the capital nor technology required for any development purposes, adding that the lack of job opportunities is a reality in NE.

He explained that only by ‘coming together, opening arms and accepting each other, we will prosper.’ In this context, the minister exhorted the NCW to take an active part in fighting the mindset of racial and social discrimination.

“Social and racial discrimination is a big issue,” Rijiju said as he made an appeal to the (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma to take the issue at hand to fight any kind of discrimination.

He also called upon state governments to play an important role in the integration of the northeastern region with better coordination and understanding.