Lalnghinglova Hmar Minister delivers valedictory address at National Seminar on Youth and Culture in Northeast India

AIZAWL, October 10: Minister for Sports & Youth Services, Tourism, Excise & Narcotics and LESDE, Pu Lalnghinglova Hmar, today delivered the valedictory address at the National Seminar on "Youth and Culture in Northeast India: Intersections and Perspectives" held at Government Aizawl North College (GANC). The two-day seminar was organised by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) in collaboration with Government Aizawl North College and Christ University, Bangalore. Mr. C. Vanlalvuana, Head of the Department of English, GANC, chaired the valedictory session.
 

Congratulating the organisers, the Minister said that any conversation on the future of Northeast India is essentially a conversation about its youth, who cannot be separated from their culture, identity and communities. Culture, he said, does not remain frozen in the past; it changes with every generation, and young people sometimes challenge it and sometimes save it from disappearing. Speaking on Mizo society, he said young people should not be asked to choose between tradition and modernity but encouraged to take the best of tradition into the modern world.
 

The Minister cautioned that a conservative society can become restrictive when it decides what a young person should study or which career he or she should pursue. He urged parents, teachers and society to create conditions in which young people can discover their own potential, and not to measure success only by government jobs or a few conventional professions.
 

Sports and music
 

Citing sports as the clearest example of youth putting the region on the national stage, the Minister recalled the achievement of Lalremsiami and Lalthantluangi of Mizoram, who were part of the Indian women's hockey team that won gold at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating China in the final after a gap of 44 years. Lalremsiami scored the decisive goal. He also cited the Neuhof School Band from Mizoram, winner of Yamaha Teens Rock 2026 – Battle of the Bands at the national finale in Bengaluru, as an example of young people acting as cultural ambassadors.
 

Tourism, employment and entrepreneurship
 

On tourism, the Minister noted a major increase in tourist arrivals in the last year, aided by better connectivity including the railway connection to Sairang. He said tourism creates opportunities for tour operators, drivers, homestay operators, event organisers and content creators, but must not turn culture into a commodity. Youth, he said, must be leaders of responsible tourism.
 

The Minister said Government cannot be the only source of employment and called for growth of the private sector, tourism, sports, music and entertainment as industries. He encouraged youth to move from asking "Where is the job?" to "What value can I create?" and to see the uniqueness of the region as an economic advantage, noting that technology has reduced barriers of distance for young entrepreneurs.
 

Drug abuse
 

As Minister in charge of Excise and Narcotics, he said substance abuse destroys not only individuals but entire families, and that enforcement alone is not enough. Young people need purpose, opportunity, skills and support, and youth policy cannot be divided into separate departments, as sports, education, skill development, tourism, employment and drug prevention are connected.
 

Message to youth
 

The Minister urged young people not to be afraid of change nor ashamed of where they come from, to learn English, Hindi, technology and new skills, and also to learn their own language, history and traditions. "Let culture be your foundation, not your limitation," he said. He concluded by hoping that the discussions at the seminar would become ideas, and the ideas become action for a better future for the youth of Northeast India.
 

The valedictory session was followed by the reading of the conference report, distribution of certificates and a vote of thanks.

Source & Wire Service: Prasar Bharati SHABD (DD / Akashvani News)