Chandigarh, March 5: The first batch of youths from England, under the “Connect with your roots” programme for non-resident Punjabi youths settled in foreign countries, is expected to arrive at the end of this month.
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had launched the programme in September last year at London.“The tour programme will be finalised based on the confirmation of the dates of visitors,” said a senior officer in the state government.
Being rolled out by the Department of NRI Affairs and Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, the state government has proposed a 10-day programme for the first batch.
Foreign-born youths, who are into second, third and fourth generation of Punjabis and have never travelled to Punjab are the focus of the programme. The aim is to help youths aged between 16 and 22 years, especially those who have never visited India, to discover their identity.
Officials said depending on the success of this programme, the government would replicate it in North American countries the US, Canada, Europe and other nations where Punjabis are settled in large numbers.
Visit to Punjab will enable the young men and women to go to places where their parents or grandparents were born and grew up. It also incorporates a home-stay element in a Punjab village and visits to historic and cultural sites and tourist attractions such as the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, Wagah border, Bhagat Singh Memorial at Banga and Khalsa Heritage Memorial among others.
Source Tribune India
