Sri Pratisthan president Krishna Naik called for a concerted effort to fill the youth with self-confidence which they seem to be lacking.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Rural Youth festival organised by the Sri Pratisthan at the town’s government grounds and said, there were lot of problems plaguing the Pavagada taluk people. The problem of fluorosis is rampant.

Apart from this the taluk is a drought-hit region and hence lot of work needs to be done and reasons should be found out as to why this region is famine hit, he added.

The ground water-level has receded in the taluk’s borewells. The farmers are not making use of the available water. They should be made aware of how with little water farming can be done by using modern technologies, he said and added that in the coming days more such programmes will be organised.

Right occasion

Naxal Anti-task Force’s Narayanswamy who was the chief guest said that this was the right occasion to identify the talents in the youth. It can be said that this is a region where there is no good programme for the youth.

Only when there is continuous programmes for the youth will be there be enthusiasm in them and then they will become action oriented. Only then will they start thinking about the welfare of the nation and the interest of the society. However, if they are idle then they will start thinking negatively and become traitors, he said.

BEO Kemparangaiah said, sports and cultural activities will always keep the youth active and called upon the pratishthan to hold such programmes every year.

Taluk physical education officer Shivashanker Naidu said the encouragement for the most talented sportspersons in the taluk was not enough. There is lack of facilities for practising. But the students were achieving big things with the help of the training given by the physical education teachers in the school.

However, if the training facilities are made available then the students can excel in sports and games and compete with the best, he added.

Youth festival convenor Veeranna said the youth festival had been organised n four hoblis in the taluk. In the youth festival 28 cricket teams, 6 kabaddi teams, 6 chekke bhajane teams and 8 dance teams had participated, he gave the details.

He also called for holding such sports and cultural festivals regularly and as this was a two-language region more emphasis should be given for Kannada, he felt. B R Ramachandrappa, Srinivas, Madhu Kambdruramakrishnappa and Ramu participated.