Amritsar, Jan.12 (ANI): Vice President M.Hamid Ansari on Monday said that Indians live in a plural society and should cherish their cultural heritage and diversity.
In a speech delivered after inaugurating the 14th National Youth Festival here, Ansari said this diversity presents itself in terms of regions, languages, religions, food habits and in a multitude of other ways.
"Yet each of these is Indian and is equally authentic.The challenge, then, is to think Indian and act Indian within the framework of this unity and diversity," he added.
He also presented the National Youth Award-2007-08 instituted by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to the individual and Voluntary Organizations in recognition to their services to the community on this occasion.
He said: "A festival is a festive occasion, generally though not exclusively associated with festivity. This festival brings together about 4000 young persons from all parts of our country, and some from abroad, gives them an invaluable opportunity for a few days to live, work and think together. In doing so, they should recall an observation of Swami Vivekanand. "The world", he said, "is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong".
He further said that "India is a nation of young people. Around 70 percent of our population - about 430 million in absolute terms - consists of those who are below the age of 35. The future of the country, its hopes, aspirations and achievements, rests with the youth and this demographic asset has to be harnessed for the good of the nation."
"We are facing multiple challenges in areas of education, employment, health and gender equality. We are confronting the scourge of terrorism. Each of these affects our development effort and the future of our youth; none can be addressed successfully without the active cooperation of young people," he added.
He concluded his address with another motto of Swami Vivekanand: "Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life. - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. This is the way to success". (ANI)
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