Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
Nagaland cabinet minister Temjen Imna Along, on September 29, said that India’s diversity should not lead to exclusiveness even as he said that people have a problem with the Hindi word ‘Bhartiya’.
Attending the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) U Tirot Sing Best Student Award 2022 at Soso Tham Auditorium, Along said, “The weakest aspect of us, we want to be inclusive in our narrowness. I know, even in Meghalaya, we have problems of the tribals and the non tribals as well as amongst the tribals. The biggest problem with all of us is we want to say we are Indians but we don’t want to say we are Bhartiyas because that language comes in Hindi.”
He appealed to the students to have a firm belief that they are citizens of the nation when they go out for higher studies from Meghalaya.
Lauding the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his efforts to unite the country, Inma Along said, “We are so diverse. And we want to say unity in diversity, but whereas we want to be exclusive in diversity. That’s the biggest problem we have in our nation. Our diversity should lead us to inclusiveness and not exclusiveness.”
Imna Along who is also the Minister of Higher and Technical Education and Tribal Affairs went on to add that the identity of different people from different communities and tribes is a unique diversity of the nation which should not be taken to be exclusiveness.
Before giving a speech, he asked the audience if all of them are Indians and not foreigners to which the audience responded by saying ‘Yes, sir’ and Imna proceeded with the slogan, “Bharat mata ki jai”.
Imna Along who is also the state president of Nagaland Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed gladness that the people of the Hills participated in the freedom movement and referred to Dr Kestonbel Manik Syiemlieh, the deputy Syiem of Hima Nongkhlaw.
The Nagaland minister congratulated the toppers and at end of the programme students made a beeline to take pictures with the minister who appeared jovial and joked with the students.
Heaping praises on ABVP’s social works, Imna Along said that the work they do reflects a commitment to national integration and nation.