The importance of unity and brotherhood came to the fore in Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's address on Friday to a group of 40 school children from Jammu region, who are on a Bharat Darshan tour from January 19-30.
In an interactive session with the students that comprised 20 girls and 20 boys hailing from remote and far-flung areas of Jammu, Singh asked them if they had seen a marked development in the country during their tour and at the Republic Day parade, to which the students replied in the affirmative.
Emphasizing the role of unity in the developmental process, Singh said, "Development in Jammu and Kashmir is only possible under a stable government and if people live in unity regardless of their creed, caste and religion.
If people remain divided, we will not be able to bring the kind of development we want in Jammu and Kashmir."
"Working together will lead to more development," he added.
Singh also stressed on unity in diversity, and in his personal message to the students, he said, "Even if anyone tries to mislead you, we should always remember that we are Indians and we shall make any sacrifice if it is needed to preserve the unity of our nation."
The concept of Bharat Darshan Tours for the children from Jammu and Kashmir was started as an annual feature in 2000.
The entire expenditure on the tours is met by the Border Security Force (BSF), including dresses, travel expenses, boarding and lodging.
Besides giving children insights into the rich historical, cultural and social profile of the country and the progress made in various field, the tour also aims at inculcating in them a sense of pride for the nation.
Till date, 1619 children from Jammu and Kashmir have participated in BSF sponsored 58 Bharat Darshan Tours.
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