Connecting new generation with roots is collective responsibility: Dhami

Devbhoomi Cultural Festival in Badrinath highlights Army’s bond with community
my uttarakhand news Bureau
Badrinath (Chamoli), 20 Sep: The two-day ‘Devbhoomi Cultural Festival-2026’, organised jointly by the Indian Army and Chamoli district administration under Operation Sadbhavana at the Tourist Arrival Plaza of the Badrinath Dham, concluded here today.  Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was also present at the concluding ceremony as the chief guest and presented prizes to the winners and runners-up of various cultural competitions. Organised on the theme ‘Our Heritage, Our Future’, the festival sought to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the Indian Army and local residents.
Before attending the festival, the CM also visited Bamni village and participated in the celebrations organised on the occasion of Nanda Ashtami. He extended his greetings to the villagers and stressed on the need to preserve and promote the rich folk traditions and cultural heritage of Devbhoomi.

Dhami also visited the stalls showcasing local products, women self-help groups (SHGs), handicrafts, traditional cuisine and other items. He interacted with women members of the SHGs about their products and traditional hill cuisine and appreciated efforts to provide market access to local products. He said linking local products with tourism would create new livelihood and self-employment opportunities in border areas.
The CM also visited the military exhibition organised by the Indian Army and sought information about the modern weapons and military equipment. He noted that such exhibitions familiarise the youth with the functioning of the Army while strengthening the spirit of patriotism and service to the nation.
Addressing the gathering, Dhami welcomed army personnel and the officers, local residents, youth, students, artists and devotees to the cultural festival held in the sacred land of Lord Badrivishal. The CM said that such events play an important role in strengthening cooperation, coordination and mutual bonding between the Indian Army and local residents. He also appreciated the traditional performance presented by villagers from Mana.
He asserted that the soul of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand resides in its folk culture, with folk dances, songs, traditions and customs forming its distinctive identity. Such events connect the younger generation with their language, culture and roots while also inspiring youth in border areas to join the Indian Army. It is a collective responsibility of all concerned to connect the youth to the roots.
He said that the facilities related to roads, electricity, telecommunications, tourism and livelihoods are being strengthened in border areas through the Vibrant Villages Programme. Areas such as Mana, Niti and Jadung are also being linked with tourism and livelihood opportunities to promote local employment and self-employment. Preventing migration from border areas and creating employment opportunities locally remains a priority of the state government, he said.
Dhami said initiatives such as the Millet Mission, Apple Mission, homestays, agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy production, beekeeping, cultivation of aromatic plants and local spices, winter tourism, adventure tourism and ‘Wedding in Uttarakhand’ are being promoted for this purpose.
Dhami claimed that Uttarakhand is moving rapidly towards expanding investment and employment opportunities in sectors including tourism, AYUSH, wellness, IT and solar energy. He also reminded that Uttarakhand has been placed in the ‘Leaders’ category in the Startup India ranking and that it had secured the first position in the country in the NITI Aayog SDG Index. He stressed that it is essential to carry the state’s culture and roots along in its development journey. Preserving folk languages, songs, dances, traditional attire, fairs and festivals is a collective responsibility, he said.
The CM congratulated the Indian Army, Chamoli district administration and all the organisers for the successful conduct of Devbhoomi Cultural Festival-2026 and prayed to Lord Badrivishal for the happiness, prosperity and well-being of all.
GOC-in-C Central Command Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, GOC Northern Area Lt Gen DG Mishra, Harak Singh, Brigadier Gaurav Batra, Madhav Prasad Semwal, BJP district president Gajpal Singh Bartwal, District Cooperative Bank chairman Gajendra Singh Rawat, BJP district general secretary Vinod Kanwasi, Arun Maithani, District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar were among those present.