The Chief Guest of the Day was Smti Pallavi Kachari, Collector, Guwahati Municipal Corporation. Guest of Honour, Prof. Alak Buragohain, Chairperson, Royal Global University, Shri. Angshuman Prasad Das, State Director of NYKS, Shri. Abhijit Sharma, Director, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Brig. R.K. Singh, Deputy Director General, NCC Shillong, Dr (Fr) P. D. John, Executive Director of Don Bosco Institute and Mr. Dipak Kumar, Regional Director, NSS Guwahati were the other guests who graced the occasion.
The program began with a song “Girl is on Fire” by two NSS volunteers of Don Bosco Institute of Management dedicated to all the women to mark International Women’s Day. A short video was presented by Dr. (Fr) P.D. John giving an overview of the 7-day NSS fest. It was followed by formal words of welcome and felicitation to the galaxy of dignitaries present on the occasion by Dr (Fr) P. D. John with Assamese phoolan gamocha and a bouquet of flowers. Shri. Angshuman Prasad Das referred to the crowds as small India sitting. He emphasized, “When you go home, tell your friends and extend your knowledge by your service, then your 7–day stay will be a fruitful one. Every corner of India is present here, and I invite all the youth of the country to come to DBI and utilize this institution as I have done with NYKS members. “ Finally, he asked not to forget Assam.
Shri. Abhijit Sharma, Director of the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, also spoke and thanked DBI and NSS. He told the participants, “You are the people who will bring solutions to the problems. Adapt to Technology to bring solutions. Don’t be mere consumers of technology.”
Brig. R. K. Singh DDG, NCC Shillong, asked to work together to bring a greater impact, to make people aware of their rights. He said youth is the powerhouse of any country. India has the biggest asset, that is, youth power. He told the participants to be confident in whatever they do, imbibe values and take the responsibility to take this country into a new era. Be part of the solution not part of the problem. In the future, youth will be in the decision making so to be conscious. India is full of Diversity but one identity: “Indian.”
Guest of honour Prof. Alak Buragohain addressed the gathering by wishing them a “Good Morning India.” He said that Youth are the country's present and future. He wished everyone all the best. He said, “I can rest assured that with people like you, India will be at the top.”
Smti Pallavi Kachari, chief guest, thanked DBI for inviting her. She said that she was mesmerized and overwhelmed at the energy that she saw around. She stated that Youth is everything a country could ask for. Youth can do a lot for the country. She remarked that she is proud to be a tribal. She also talked about values; the first values are learned in the family. We must teach our sons to respect girls, she said. Any girl’s responsibility is in the hands of the men. Men should also learn how to treat women. Be positive in Life. Stay healthy, stay happy and stay United. Be proud to be an Indian. Wishing a bright future to all the participants, she concluded her speech. It was followed by the distribution of certificates and mementos.
Ahamed Jimshad, Program Officer, from Kerala said, “three letters of NSS brought us to Northeast to see the rich cultures of Northeast. In DBI, we were treated like ‘Chief Guest’ every day. By being in DBI, we felt we were in all the 8 States of Northeast as DBI houses all cultures of Northeast.”
Pusha Saroj, a participant from Delhi said, “I love DBI and the people of Northeast. They are so welcoming, colourful and sociable. I am going to tell everyone about the beauty of DBI and the Northeast.”
Shreya, from UP studying in Banaras Hindu University, said, “Everything is different in Northeast. But I was able to adjust myself and enjoy the sessions and learn a lot. The entire camp was an eye-opener for me about the rich culture of the Northeast.”
Milind Kr Gautam, P.O. from Madhya Pradesh, said, “In my thirty years life, I've never had such a wonderful experience as I had these days in DBI. DBI is a place where all cultures and all religions meet.”
The Valedictory function came to a close with the Vote of Thanks delivered by Mr. Dipak Kumar, Regional Director, NSS, who expressed gratitude towards all the day's guests and Fr. P D John, Executive Director of Don Bosco Institute, and all his team for their great organization, undying support and guidance, the support staff who were the silent task force behind making the event a success and, lastly, the audience for being patient, enthusiastic and the constant reason for the motivation of the organizing workforce. The constant hard work of the staff and management were much appreciated and applauded.
The Event ended by paying respect to the nation with the National Anthem.
