· CAPT AMARINDER SEEKS PM’s SUPPORT TO LAUNCH THE PROGRAMME
New Delhi (Face2News)
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has sought the central government’s support to launch a `Connect with Your Roots’ (CYR) programme for young boys and girls of Punjabi origin settled abroad.The Chief Minister discussed the proposed programme with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting here on Tuesday.
The youth, he said, could be drawn from countries such as UK, Germany France, Italy, Canadian East and West coasts, US East and West coasts, which have large populations of Punjabi NRIs.The programme, said Captain Amarinder, would provide an opportunity to the youngsters, settled in different parts of the world, to visit the places from where their families hailed, or where their grandparents were born, or where they themselves spent their early years.
The proposed scheme could be open to young boys and girls in the 16-22 age group, he suggested, adding that the programme would provide these youngsters a platform to go back to their roots and connect with the same. It would also enable them to learn about their family background, and the culture to which they belong, and also to build an emotional bonding with the country of their roots, he said, adding that there was a lot of curiosity among Indian-origin youngsters settled in other countries to know about their ancestral home.
Apart from a home-stay programme in a village for three days, the scheme could include visits to historic, cultural and tourist places, such as Jallianwala Bagh, Wagah Border, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial, Khalsa Heritage Memorial, among others.
The Punjab government has already launched a 'Friends of Punjab' scheme for NRIs or Punjabi origin to participate in the development and growth of the state. The new programme will enhance the NRI engagement at the level of the youth, who can be a vital engine in the state’s programme, said the Chief Minister.