Venkaiah Naidu addresses the annual cultural event 'Alai Balai' in Hyderabad

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called for encouraging youth to be aware of India’s ancient traditions and culture and uphold the national value of ‘unity in diversity’.

He said that India’s pluralistic culture has the power to unite people, going beyond various social divisions in society. Naidu was speaking at the annual cultural event ‘Alai Balai’ in Hyderabad that is traditionally organized by Bandaru Dattatreya, now Haryana Governor, as part of Dasara festivities.

The event witnessed leaders and dignitaries from various fields and political parties exchange greetings and pleasantries. The Vice President complimented Dattatreya for taking the initiative in organizing ‘Alai Balai’ over the years to promote camaraderie and brotherhood among people. 

Naidu recalled the legacy of the great freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who similarly initiated the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to unite the people



during Swaraj movement. He called for honouring the legacy of the great leaders and to take inspiration from their lives to protect the pluralistic culture of India.

Dattatreya, in his address, said the Chief Ministers of the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, K Chandrashekhar Rao and Y S Jaganmohan Reddy respectively, should resolve inter-State issues amicably.

Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Himachal Pradesh Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Union Tourism and Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, MLC K Kavitha, TRS Secretary General K Keshav Rao, film actors Pawan Kalyan and Manchu Vishnu, Managing Director of Dr. Reddy Labs, G.V. Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, Krishna Ella, Chairman and Founder of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Dr. Nageshwar Reddy, Managing Director of Biological E., Mahima Datla and others participated in the programme.