NE can become leader in near future : Kalam

Guwahati, Oct 17 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today wrapped up his three-day North East trip with conviction that the region could climb up to the top in the near future if peace coupled with progress was ensured.

Dr Kalam, who went to Manipur, Mizoram and Asom, said progress and peace should go hand in hand and lack of one of the two aspects was bound to make a nation or a region cripple.

This was more true in respect of North East, he opined.

The President charmed students and villagers with equal elan and exhorted them on to develop the society through communication tools and self-help group movement.

Attending the convocations in Manipur and Mizoram Universities, the President mingled with the students, and urged them to be innovative and creative.

Dr Kalam said there was no conflict between technological development and environmental conservation.

'' Every technology must be used for upgrading the environment.

Bio-fuel is carbon-neutral and it does not inject carbon monoxide in the environment, '' he added.

He emphasised the need to cultivate entrepreneurship to solve unemployment so the country can transform into a superpower by 2020.

He said, '' The unemployment problem can be solved only by making our education entrepreneurship-oriented so that we generate employment providers rather than employment seekers. '' As Dr Kalam hopped from one venue to another, he inspired the villagers and the students to take oath with him to be a good citizen.

If in Silchar in Asom he urged for innovative use of bio-diversity, in Aizawl he exhorted the state government to promote anthurium cultivation and export flowers to various foreign countries.

He also oppealed the North Eastern states to utilise barren wasteland by setting up bio-fuel plants.

Addressing the second convocation of Mizoram University here last evening, the President stressed upon the cultivation of jatropha circus (ratanjyot) on a commercial basis.

A programme on same subject was also held here this evening where the North East Development and Finance Organisation (NEDFI) started a three-day workshop for commercial utilisation of the jatropha The President inaugurated the same before leaving for New Delhi promising to return to the region to review its progress.

UNI MT SJC RN AK RN1842