Young Leaders Connect - branding Northeast

Young Leader Connect 2013
With a theme of "Branding Northeast: Speaking for ourselves", the third chapter of the Young Leaders Connect was organized at the Gauhati Medical College Auditorium in Guwahati on November 22, 2013. North-East India’s premier magazine 'Eclectic NorthEast' along with 'YouthNet' organized the event in Assam. The conclave witnessed some of the dynamic young leaders from the region as well as other parts of the country and they shared space to discuss different issues of the Northeast.

Gaurav Gogoi, Co-Chair of Young Leaders Connect-3 and the Co-founder of Youth Forum on Foreign Poilicy, stated in his opening address the need of removing the stereotyped negativity and focusing on the importance of branding northeast. He also discussed ways to project a real, collective face of this fast-transforming region.

Mary Kom at Young Leader Connect 2013Chair of Young Leaders Connect and internationally acclaimed footballer Baichung Bhutia highlighted the need of platforms where young leaders of northeast can come together and discuss issues to carve a roadmap for the future. Co-Chair Young Leaders Connect-3, Merentoshi Jamir, Hon’ble Minister, Youth Resources and Sports, Govt of Nagaland, in his concluding remarks stressed that polices of the Govt.of India need to be more sensitive to the local needs of the Northeastern region. Binalakshmi Nepram, founder of the Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh, Urban development, Housing and Labour Minister, Meghalaya graced the inaugural session.

The event also witnessed sessions on entrepreneurship eco-system in the Northeast with Bhairavi Jani, Director, SCA Group, Larsing Ming, MD Centre Point Group enterprise, Tanushree Hazarika, MD of Eclectic Publications, and Naresh Subba, Director, Royal Plaza, Sikkim in the panel with Rajeev Agarwal, Director, SM Group and CEO of Bitchem Asphalt Technologies, Assam.

Mary Kom, the five time world champion and Olympic medal winner talked about sporting scene in the NE. The session was chaired by Hasina Kharbih, MD, Impulse. Mary Kom entertained the crowd by speaking about her inspiring challenging journey as a sportsperson.

People witnessed Assamese classical dancer Maneka PP Bora's striking performance just before an interactive session by the Indian film producer-director-screenwriter Prakash Jha and regional film director Rajni Basumatary. The duo analyzed the role of films in the country and its affects in North-East.

Prakash Jha at Young Leader Connect 2013Karma Paljor, Business Editor of CNN IBN, Assamese film director Bidyut Kotoky, Ghukhato Sema, Director of Nagaland Music Task Force, Bjorn Denise, Director Mayfair Group, Sikkim, and Teresa Rahman, senior journalist conducted the next session which focused on the need of rebranding the NE region.

The session on ‘One Northeast’ was chaired by Jarpum Gamlin, CEO, Eastern Sentinel and had featured Mmhonlumo Kikon, member Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Armstrong Pame, IAS, Manipur, Lalnghinglova Hmar, Secy, Mizoram Football Association and musician Rudy Wallang.

Borkung Hrangkhawl the freestyle rapper from Tripura thrilled the audience with an on-the-spot composition with Victor Vanlalhruia, Musician and CEO of Scavenger Management, Mizoram. Ms Hekani Jakhalu, Director of YouthNet closed the event thanking the huge gathering.

The conclave ended with high-voltage performances by the popular Shillong based band Soulmate and Alobo Naga and the band.