A chapter on NE in books? Assam youth starts journey on foot to convince NCERT

Silchar: Rajon Das of Assam’s Karimganj district has taken up it upon himself to promote Northeast India so that the region finds adequate space in NCERT books.

The 22-year-old has embarked on a journey on foot to draw the attention of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) authorities for introducing a chapter pertaining to Northeast in its books, especially for classes IX and X students, to help students learn about the region.

The walking tour is also aimed at promoting the cultures and traditions of the northeast.

A resident of Karimganj’s Patharkandi, Rajon Das began his journey from Tripura Sundari Temple (popularly known as Matabari) in Udaipur, Tripura, on May 22, and will be travelling to Mizoram, Kamakhya in Guwahati and Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang during his tour.

Talking exclusively to EastMojo, Das, a student of National Institute of Technology Silchar, said he had started his journey from Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur, about 305 km from Silchar, on May 22, and has been walking for about 12-13 hours every day since then. He said he is hopeful of completing the tour within the next two to two-and-a-half months.

Speaking about his mission, the 22-year-old said people from mainland India do not know properly about the northeast, its rich history and culture, and it is important that the region, which is a part of India, be explored through knowledge. People from across the nation should know about its beautiful landscapes, tradition, culture and everything related to it, he said.

Das said the introduction of a chapter on the Northeast in NCERT books, particularly for class-IX and class-X students, will be helpful in making students of different parts of the country know about the region, which would also help in its progress and development in the future. He hopes his endeavour will attract the attention of the NCERT authorities and they would take appropriate steps for fulfillment of his wish.

In 2021, Rajon Das had completed a journey on a bicycle from Assam to Khardungla (Ladakh) with a similar objective – to promote the Northeast. During that trip, he had been to places including Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

During the 62-day-tour, he interacted with people from different states and share with them various aspects of the NE region. 

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