Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said there is a need to lay emphasis on empowering the youth in the country, by giving them direction and infrastructure to grow.
"We must give direction and infrastructure for our youth to grow. To make the 21st century, India`s century, skill development is very important," he said while inaugurating the national consultation on Young Men`s Christian Associations (YMCA) brand building.
"We not only stress on sports in general, but also on sports for specially-abled children," Modi said and also spoke about Gujarat government`s initiatives on skill development.
Highlighting the importance of sportsman spirit, he said that until there is no such spirit, there cannot be harmony.
Speaking about the Gujarat government`s achievements, he said that every year it organises a `Khel Mahakumbh` in which many athletes participate.
"Youth bring new ideas. We have taken a lot of steps to empower the youth in Gujarat, but it is tragedy that political parties think of youth as voters only. For me, youth is not only a voter, but a power for this country. Sixty-five per cent of our population is below 35 years. We are blessed to have this youth power and we must empower them," he said.
PTI
