Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 23: About 10,000 youth from 600 districts of country visited border areas and adjoining villages during the “Sarhad Ko Pranam’’ programme.
This was stated by Brig (retd) K S Kotwal, president FINS while talking to reporters here today. The Sarhad Ko Pranam programme started from November 19 to 23 is a big boost for youth of the country to imbibe in them the spirit of patriotism manifold, he added.
He said the programme has been a joint initiative of Seema Jankalyan Manch, ABVP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
He said these volunteers visited 469 border posts across the country, remained with villagers and studied their problems concerning the poor condition of roads, health centers, schooling etc faced by them in their daily life.
They also discussed various issues with youth concerning their future, Brig said, adding the FINS covered almost 15106.7 kilometres of border across India. On November 22 these youth made a human wall on the border posts with the help of local villagers. They were also joined by soldiers at different places in this programme. This was done to boost the morale of armed forces, Brig Kotwal added.
The FINS after completing their programme today has also given some valuable suggestion to Central Government, Brig said, adding it demanded that Government should ensure safety of borders so that prosperity and integration of the country is maintained.
Brig said it also suggested that borders be made free from infiltration and no outsider including arms, fake currency and drugs be allowed to sneak. Making it clear that infiltration across the border is injurious to social harmony, economic prosperity and secularism it urged the Government to take all steps in containing the same, he added.
Brig said FINS also suggested making of Surksha Samities in the villages with help of the villagers who may be involved in the safety of borders and encouraged to work along with soldiers. Besides the villagers residing along border be provided every sort of facility.
Moreover, FINS suggested formulating a national policy on security of borders after due consultation with their respective states and implementation of Parliament’s resolution of 1962 and 1994 to free the areas of India occupied by China and Pakistan.