HT Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR, Feb 27: The first ever Bodoland International Knowledge Festival (BIKF) 2023 organised by the Bodoland University with active support from the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) government began in Kokrajhar on Monday.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by a host of dignitaries including the Nobel Laureate economist Prof Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh, Padma Shri awardee philanthropist and diamond exporter Savjibhai Dholakia, SECMOL founder Sonam Wangchuk, Bollywood actor and philanthropist Vivek Oberoi, BTR chief Pramod Boro, Assam Assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary, Assam minister UG Brahma and Consulate General Royal Bhutanese Jigme Thinlye Namgyl among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, spoke on the importance of empowering women for the overall development of society.
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“If 10 million women can be made entrepreneurs, all humans will be entrepreneurs. It is important to empower women,” Yunus said.
Yunus also asked the BTR chief Promod Boro to create an environment in the BTR where youths are encouraged to be entrepreneurs instead of job seekers.
Recalling his past days as a teacher and economist, Yunus said by empowering women, he could bring a change in Bangladesh.
Further, Yunus spoke on the ill effects of global warming and artificial intelligence. He stressed on the need to undo and redesign the economic framework for a better tomorrow.
Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance.
Chief executive member of Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Pramod Boro termed the inauguration of the Bodoland Knowledge Festival as historic.
“We are extremely happy and glad to welcome some of the wonderful human beings whose contributions to change humans are immense. We hope this will mark a new beginning in the BTR,” said Boro.
Boro said that they are committed to changing the life of 3.5 million people in the BTR after a four-decade-long violence-torn journey.
The thematic area of the Bodoland International Knowledge Festival is the achievement of social development priorities and key Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 in contemporary BTR and the world.
In view of this, the following baskets of themes and sub-themes will be deliberated and discussed — science & technology, livelihood, indigenous knowledge system, women empowerment, child rights & protection, peace building, good governance, communication and media, behavioural change & communication, human rights, sustainable agriculture, climate justice and action, quality education, health and wellbeing, art & culture, youth entrepreneurship, intellectual property rights, trade, commerce and investment and BTR in the light of the Act East Policy.
There is a participation of more than 300 invited delegates from across India and 35 international delegates from 14 countries.
More than 10,000 participants are taking part in the Knowledge Festival comprising students, academicians, researchers, development practitioners, government officials, politicians, entrepreneurs, farmers and SHG members among others.
Several seminars on various thematic areas were also carried out at different seminar halls in the festival venue.
