Gyanodaya Express-a project initiative of Delhi University Vice Chancellor Mr. Dinesh Singh, is in its fifth year now. With a view to take the university students on an educational journey to Indian states, the trip aims at acquainting them with the diversity of our nation.
This year Gyanodaya is going North-East to the Seven Sisters for ten days w.e.f. December 18 to December 29, 2014. Gyanodaya V has the theme Dharohar: The glory of the North East. The itinerary includes a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam (Guwahati), Assam (Jorhat), Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The journey which will be joined by almost 1,500 students and 150 teachers will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 December.
Reportedly, a brief has been received by the university from the HRD Ministry and the PM’s Office, stating that this programme is the government’s effort in providing confidence to the North-Easterns that Delhi is still a safe city for them, and that they intend to reduce any biases against North-Easterns living in Delhi. Also, the trip to the North-East comes as a welcoming effort since the PM has been vocalizing about harboring and extracting the talents in the often ignored part of our country.
RSS and the BJP who have been trying to make in-roads in the seven states, have confirmed that RSS has set the agenda for Dharohar, thereby making it possible for the university train to travel the states. The itinerary made after quite some deliberation and meetings between the RSS representatives and university administration will take the students and teachers to temples and Hindu mathas, most of which date back to the periods of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the Shiv temple in Tripura and the ashram of Vashisth. The students are being made to understand the rich Hindu history lying unattended in these states.
The trip will require the students to carry woolens, toiletries, cellphone, medicines, ID cards etc. and also specific documents and passport size photographs for state border permissions such as that in Arunachal Pradesh. The sole requirement of the journey is that every college is required to submit two projects based on the journey. The project selection committee has approved 63 projects so far, which have been given a nod by the professors from the departments along with representatives from the right wing organisations and the ministry of culture. Majority of the projects are inclined at tracking down the religious and linguistic roots of the region, while also studying the history, myths and folklore.
Bipin Tiwari, member secretary, Gyanodaya Coordination Committee has said that the university organized a month-long north eastern languages programme for those who will join the trip so that the students can communicate with the locals.
Comments are closed.