There has been a feeling amongst a section of the population in the North Eastern states like Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram having international borders with China and Mayanmar that they have been forcefully captured by India, although they belong to other different ethnic origins akin to China and Mayanmar. Over the years such anti India feelings have been generated amongst the people there by vested interests giving rise to various separatist movements disturbing the daily life of the people.
With a view to removing such feelings from the minds of the common people in general and youngsters in particular, operation Sadbhavana tour was recently organised by Assam Rifles at the behest of Indian Army from Dimapur to Ahmedabad for instilling a feeling of national integretation and one-ness with the rest of India aiming at social upliftment through various developmental projects in that part of the country.
Similarly such National Integration Tours (NIT) were also arranged from other remote areas of North East to different metropolitan cities by the Army.
This venture was a tremendous success and hundreds of youngsters including school, college and university students from North East participated in the programme.
We will be sharing their feelings with you through a series of interview based stories with the participants.
The first instalment will be published tomorrow.Please follow our page.
Pic & Video source: Indian Army
(Author is a Sr.journalist working for British Media with 20 years of experience in covering the east and northeast, with specialisation in Defence and Sports.In her illustrated career she has covered many major events and achieved International and National media awards for Journalism).
