'National Integrity Tour' organised by AR

Aizawl, May 15 (UNI) The Assam Rifles (AR) would organise a three-week-long 'National Integrity Tour' (NIT), as part of its Indianisation mission at Mizoram, AR officials said today.

The third NIT for 34 Mizo youths to South India was flagged off at the AR Ground yesterday by Mizoram Governor Lt Gen (Rtd) M M Lakhera.

Speaking on the occasion, Brig Kapil Dev, VSM, Commander of the Mizoram Range, AR, said, ''In some of Manipur's villages along the Indo-Myanmar border, Myanmarese language is not only widely used for communication but also Myanmarese currencies. No such villages may be there in Indo-Myanmar border in Mizoram but there is a strong need for Indianisation of the people along the border. This is what the AR has been doing all these years.'' Brig Kapil Dev informed that the tour aimed at providing an opportunity to the Mizo boys and girls to see the developmental strides made by the country in various fields, as well as to share Mizo customs and traditions with their counterparts in South India.

He added that these students would also get a chance to interact with various military and civil dignitaries during the tour.

The tour was being organised at the behest of the Directorate General of AR, Shillong.

The group would be touring Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and visit all important cities and places of interest in these states.

The NIT organised by the AR last year to North India had received an overwhelming response.

Brig Dev said the AR had been undertaking a number of development projects, especially in the border areas, under its Military Civil Action Programme.

A total of 16 projects, amounting to over Rs 50 lakh, had been executed, including vocational training centres at Mimbung and Hnahlan villages, all along the Indo-Myanmar and Indo-Bangladesh borders.

UNI