Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with participants of the 'Viksit Vibrant Village' programme, which brought together more than 400 young people from over 250 districts across the country to experience life in India's border villages and strengthen their connection with these strategically important regions.
Implemented through MY Bharat, the initiative is aimed at realising the Prime Minister's vision of transforming border villages into the nation's "first villages" and making them active contributors to the journey towards a 'Viksit Bharat'.
During the interaction, Nikita, a law student from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, shared her experience of visiting Changoo village in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district.
She described the opportunity as a significant achievement and said the villagers welcomed and cared for her like a member of their own family despite her travelling alone from a distant Union Territory.
When Prime Minister Modi asked whether she had interacted with women panchayat leaders, Nikita said she had met several women pradhans who actively managed village administration while also participating in farming and household responsibilities.
The Prime Minister encouraged her to remain connected with the villagers through video calls and jokingly remarked that "4G connectivity must have reached there too."
Referring to solo travel as a journey of self-discovery, Modi said the participants may have travelled alone but were returning home as one extended family.
He added that such experiences reflected the growing confidence and independence of India's young women and reiterated the government's commitment to creating an environment where every young citizen could pursue opportunities with confidence.
Another participant, Sunil Kumar Kela from a border village in Rajasthan, spoke about his visit to Dhar Chango Uperla village in Himachal Pradesh.
He said he found the same spirit of patriotism and warmth among the villagers there as in Rajasthan, despite the stark difference in geography and climate.
Kela recalled experiencing a dramatic change in weather, moving from temperatures of around 50 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan to sub-zero conditions in Himachal Pradesh.
He also observed that road infrastructure in the remote Himalayan village was better than in many parts of his home state and noted that residents were making effective use of solar power generated under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana.
Responding to his observations, the Prime Minister said young people across India, whether from Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh or the Northeast, share similar aspirations and values.
He stressed that while border villages may appear geographically distant, they remain emotionally connected to the rest of the country.
Modi said this belief inspired the government's decision to redefine border settlements as the country's "first villages", replacing the earlier perception of them as remote and neglected regions.
He added that communities once considered last in terms of development priorities are now being placed at the forefront of national progress.
Another participant, 21-year-old Sayontika from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, shared her experience of visiting Man Village in Ladakh.
She said adapting to the high-altitude climate initially affected her health and thanked personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), including its medical team, for their prompt assistance and care.
Sayontika also expressed surprise at finding UPI-based digital payment facilities available in the remote border village, describing it as an example of how digital connectivity has reached even the country's farthest regions.