Prez sees Arunachal as future trade hub

GUWAHATI: President Ram Nath Kovind today said the country’s strength and unity lay in its diversity. Addressing a special session of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly after inaugurating the newly built Assembly building at Itanagar in the frontier state, Kovind said, “We are all citizens of a culturally rich and diverse country.

President Ram Nath Kovind inspects the guard of honour on his arrival at Itanagar on Sunday. PTI

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, November 19

President Ram Nath Kovind today said the country’s strength and unity lay in its diversity.

Addressing a special session of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly after inaugurating the newly built Assembly building at Itanagar in the frontier state, Kovind said, “We are all citizens of a culturally rich and diverse country. There is such variety in food, clothing, customs and even religious traditions in India. And yet, this diversity is our strength that unites us. Whether it is Tirupati or Tarnetar or the Buddhist monastery of Tawang, it inspires every Indian and is a matter of pride for each of us.”

The President said Arunachal Pradesh’s experience of “unity in diversity” expressed the country’s traditions beautifully. “There are many ethnic and religious communities in the state, and they live together in harmony. This is an ideal for all Indians,” he said.

Being a border state, Arunachal Pradesh offered a unique opportunity for trade and business with neighbouring countries, he said. He hoped the state would become a driver of India’s trade and economic relations with ASEAN countries under the act east policy of the Centre.

He reminded the legislators that they had been elected by the people for rendering public service. After the election, they represented all citizens of their constituency, including those who might not have voted for them. As legislators, they were guardians of public interest and trust. It was now their responsibility to make laws that improved lives of the people besides resolving issues of public concern, he said.

The President also attended the valedictory function of the completion of 40 years of the Vivekananda Kendra in Itanagar. He lauded Vivekananda Kendra for commendable work in the field of education in the state. He was happy to note that the Vivekananda Kendra’s schools had kept alive the guru-shishya tradition through the Gurukul system.

The President noted that the Vivekananda Kendra schools were a happy synthesis of country’s traditional knowledge and values and modern science and technology.

Earlier in the day, Kovind was given a warm welcome during brief a stopover at the Lilabari Airport in Assam on way to Itanagar by Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal.