ITANAGAR, Sep 7: A strong and value-based family is the foundation of a strong nation.
Nivedita Bhide (Padmashree awardee), vice president All India Vivekananda Kendra, said this while underscoring the need to strengthen family bonds and revive traditional values in the face of rapidly changing social and cultural realities.
Bhide was speaking at a Vimarsh programme on “Role of Family in Nation Building” organised at DK Convention Hall here.
She emphasised that the process of nation building begins within the family, where values such as character, discipline, compassion, responsibility and mutual respect are first imparted.
Dwelling on the concept of an “Amrut Parivar”, Bhide called for conscious efforts to preserve the integrity of the family while adapting to the needs of changing times. She said families should remain rooted in their cultural traditions even as they respond to emerging challenges. One of the major concerns highlighted during the interaction was the growing dependence on mobile phones and screen-based devices among children. Bhide said excessive screen time was increasingly becoming a challenge for family life and called for greater parental engagement in the upbringing of children.
She also expressed concern over the growing tendency in nuclear families to send children to hostels at an early age, stressing the importance of creating a nurturing home environment where children can learn values and develop a strong sense of belonging.
Bhide cautioned against what she described as the growing influence of cultural forces that encourage selfishness, individualism and a sense of entitlement. She also pointed to the role of social media in shaping opinions, saying that views formed solely through such platforms could often remain superficial and disconnected from deeper social realities.
Emphasising the importance of collective responsibility, she said the family should not function as an isolated unit but should contribute to the welfare of the larger society. She called for the sharing of resources, knowledge and capabilities for the common good.
A significant part of her address focused on preserving language and cultural identity in Arunachal Pradesh.
Bhide urged families to make conscious efforts to preserve their mother tongues, particularly by using them in everyday communication at home.
Referring to the Arunachal Parivar initiative and related VKS activities, she stressed the need for community-driven efforts to reinforce family values and social cohesion.
The programme was attended by P D Sona, Minister for Education and Tourism, Kento Jini, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Sports and Youth Affairs, and Rajya Sabha MP Tai Tagak, along with senior government officials, bureaucrats, representatives of NGOs, members of the Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya Alumni Association (VKVAA), and people from various walks of life.