[ Karda Natam ]
ITANAGAR, 6 Sep: An interactive session on the role of family in nation-building was held at DK Convention Hall here on Sunday.
Nivedita Raghunath Bhide, vice president of Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, deliberated on various social challenges emerging within families amid rapid social transformation. She stressed the need to strengthen family bonds, preserve cultural values and ensure meaningful communication among family members.
She expressed concern over the gradual decline of using mother tongue and indigenous dialects among children in Arunachal Pradesh, saying that families have a major responsibility in preserving and reviving them before they are lost.
Bhide observed that a life centred merely on enjoyment ultimately becomes meaningless, and called upon people to develop a sense of responsibility, sacrifice and service towards society without expecting anything in return.
She also highlighted the growing communication gap among family members, particularly with the shift from traditional joint and village-based family systems towards nuclear families. She cautioned against misunderstanding modernisation and adopting changes without considering their social and cultural consequences.
On the growing influence of social media, she urged people not to accept information superficially. She stressed the importance of applying logic, independent thinking and personal intelligence while understanding and evaluating information circulated through social media.
Bhide further advocated that family members should sit together at least once a week on a common platform, interact with one another and share their feelings and experiences to strengthen emotional bonding and mutual understanding.
She also emphasised the importance of maintaining cultural practices within families and passing traditional values from one generation to the next.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Joram Begi highlighted the history behind the establishment of the Vivekananda Kendra and Vivekananda Rock Memorial, and recalled the enduring legacy of Swami Vivekananda. He said the Vivekananda Kendra has been working towards "man-making and nation-building" through various institutions and social initiatives across the country.
Dr Begi recalled that the first Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (VKV) in Arunachal Pradesh was established at Sher on 11 September, 1977, and said the kendra has since established 44 VKVs across the state, besides undertaking various social welfare projects.
He acknowledged the selfless contribution of late Balakrishnan, particularly his role in establishing VKVs in Arunachal. He said the institutions have produced thousands of bureaucrats, technocrats and other professionals who are serving the state and the nation in various capacities.
