Syed Munavar Sabri
As the nation is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its Independence, we have decided to start 75 new units of NCC in schools and colleges and induct 7500 more cadets into the NCC this year, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
The Chief Minister was speaking at a function to celebrate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Apart from announcing the decision on new NCC units, he also reopened the modernised Government Flying School with training for 75 pilots, launched P2006T twin engine aircraft and Heli Tourism on the occasion.
The decision to augment NCC has been taken to attract the youth towards joining the NCC.State government would fully fund Rs12,000 expenditure on each cadet.
There are about 44,000 cadets in state’s schools. State government would seek the approval of the Defense ministry to revamp the tough aspects of NCC and bear the entire cost of augmenting it.
The NCC units in high schools would be carried forward to colleges with plans to raise the number of cadets to over 50,000 next year. We need the approval of the Defense ministry for this and we are confident of obtaining it, Bommai said.
Referring to the functioning of the Youth Empowerment department, Bommai said, the department has in recent days initiated a slew of activities to instill new enthusiasm among the youth to participate in sports and adventure activities.
It is commendable to note that the department has launched a 4 year adoption programme to train Olympic aspirants.
Reopening of the Flying School is another achievement. It has been decided to provide training for 100 candidates.
A twin engine aircraft too has been procured. As for the demand to have a full fledged runway, the state government would take measures to provide land for the purpose after examining the issue in the coming days, he said.
Stressing the importance of women’s security, the Chief Minister said an agreement has been signed with the Police department for training women in self defense. Self Defense training programmes should be launched in schools and colleges.
A slew of programmes including Heli-tourism are being launched on Netaji’s birth anniversary. They have been formulated for the youth.
What Netaji achieved in his life of just 48 years should inspire us all. “Let us follow his ideals and reignite the spirit of Indianness,” he said.
Netaji’s Karnataka connect
The Chief Minister recalled Netaji’s strong connection with Karnataka on the occasion. “During the Presidential election for Congress Committee when Mahatma Gandhi supported the candidature of Pattabhiram Reddy against Netaji, Siddappa Hosamani of Haveri, a senior Congress leader of the time from Bombay province had supported Subhash Chandra Bose.
Netaji later agreed to visit Dharwad on Hosamani’s request letter,” the Chief Minister said narrating the episode which he had heard from his father SR Bommai.
Respect for Netaji in Japan
Bommai also recalled the huge respect he witnessed for Netaji during his visit to the Netaji memorial in Japan.
The patriotism among our youth would have been more intense had the country identified leaders like Netaji, Chandrashekar Azad, Bhagat Singh as frontline freedom fighters, he said.
Ministers Ashwath Narayan, BC Nagesh, MLA Krishna Byre Gowda and other dignitaries were present.
