Fourteen youngsters from UK to visit Punjab in search of their roots
The first batch of 14 youngsters of Punjab origin from the United Kingdom will visit the State from August 7 to 16 as part of the scheme ‘Connect with Your Roots (CYR)’. The group consists of eight boys and six girls, aged between 16 and 22 years.
The programme CYR was launched by Caption Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab on 13th September 2017. The programme targets the foreign-born youth who are into second, third and fourth generations of Punjabis and have never travelled to Punjab. The government will make arrangement to bring them to Punjab and showcase its culture, heritage, education system and the way of living of the people here.
The first batch of youngsters would be visiting their ancestral places in the districts of Jalandhar, Patiala, Ludhiana, SBS Nagar, Faridkot and Mohali. They will be meeting members of the families, friends, and relatives of their parents/grandparents, thus enabling them to connect with their ancestral roots.
The youth will also have an opportunity to interact with the CM in the State-level Independence Day celebrations.
Captain Amarinder Singh, Punjab Chief Minister
The CM has given directions to the NRI Affairs Department to ensure proper boarding and lodging arrangements, besides transportation facilities, for the visitors’ sightseeing and other programmes. He has also asked the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department to closely liaise with the NRIs Affairs department to ensure the group’s hassle-free visit to various places of cultural and historic importance.
The group will also visit Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), Durgiana Mandir and Ram Tirath, Jallianwala Bagh, War Memorial, Attari-Wagah Border and Gobindgarh Fort in Amritsar.
At Anandpur Sahib, the group would pay homage at historic Gurdwara Takhat Keshgarh Sahib and visit Khalsa Heritage Complex. They will visit Guru Ravidass Memorial at Khuralgarh in Hoshiarpur, famous for its handicrafts, besides the industrial hub at Jalandhar and the Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana.
Depending on the success of the programme, the government will replicate it in North American countries – USA and Canada, Europe and other nations where Punjabis are settled in large numbers, says the officials.