National Integration Camp: Youngsters Urged to Think Differently

Bhubaneswar: It is important to think differently for the creation of an inclusive society.  University students attending the National Integration Camp (NIC) in Bhubanewsar were urged to think out of the box.

Over 200 NSS volunteers from 21 different universities of 10 states participated in the weeklong camp at the SOA campus. It was organised to mark the Golden Jubilee of NSS, founded in 1969. The participants took out a procession on Tuesday morning on the crowded Janpath showcasing the diversity of India. It was preceded by a yoga session
conducted by SOA’s yoga instructor, Akhil Chandra Rana.

The term national integration binds people together in a common bond despite the inherent diversities. The feeling of oneness among citizens of any nation is important for its overall stability and growth, said educationist and Chancellor of SOA (deemed to be University) Professor Khageswar Pradhan.

National integration continues to be a crucial issue in India, Pradhan said. “There are divisive factors, inherent to the geography and culture of the country, which pose a serious threat to the country’s unity and integrity,” he said. 

Addressing the programme as guests of honour, president of Khadi and Village Industries, Tejeswar Parida, and eminent social worker and founder of ‘Swabhimaan’, Sruti Mohapatra, also urged the NSS volunteers to come out with new ideas and contribute towards changing the mindset of the society. 

Mohapatra, bound to a wheelchair after being hurt in a road accident years ago, said there was a need to confront the “you can’t culture” as it was an impediment against people scaling new heights. “Though I had won gold medals in academics and played basketball at the national level, people could only see my wheelchair. I felt rejected by the society,”
she said.

Never think of what you cannot do, she added. “Indians participating in the Para-Olympics had won more medals compared to those who competed in the Olympic Games,” she further said.

Parida urged the young people to work for national reconstruction and social change while stating that the country needs inclusive development. Students need to think and come up with ideas to confront the economic and social challenges to the country, he said.