Our Correspondent Kohima | May 29 The North East National Service Scheme (NSS) youth festival concluded here today at Indira Gandhi Stadium under the theme ‘Learning Together.’ It was organized by the Department of Youth Resources & Sports, NSS cell Nagaland under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. Nagaland’s Youth Resources & Sports Secretary Anenla S. Longchari (IAS) while speaking as chief guest at the valedictory function stressed on the need to strengthen unity amongst the eight North Eastern states. The Youth Festival in Kohima, she said, embraced a mixture of participation from different states providing fine platform for other states to share and experience the rich values, cultures, traditional songs and dances. Terming Mizoram and Sikkim as the cleanest states, she urged other state volunteers to take example from them. Longchari further told the participants that whatever they have learnt from the festival must be shared with their friends and others back at home. She spoke on her past experiences in seeing the culture of other states and further pointed out that the people of North East should follow the good example where cleanliness is maintained as the first priority in life. In quiz competition held during the festival, Arunachal Pradesh claimed first while Nagaland and Sikkim secured second and third places respectively. Extempore speech winners were: First – Mizoram, Second – Nagaland, and Third – Meghalaya, while the Debate winners were: First – Manipur, Second – Nagaland & Assam; and Third – Meghalaya. The four-day long festival saw the participation of hundreds of NSS volunteers across the northeastern states. The festival witnessed various activities such as cultural exchange program, seminars, yoga, tree plantation, sightseeing. C. Theyo, State NSS Officer said the festival provided an ample opportunity to the NSS volunteers to reason together through exchange of traditional songs, dances, lifestyle etc.
