Celebrating Pongal will keep youth rooted to culture: SRM Chancellor

CHENNAI: Celebrating traditional festivals and taking part in the events around it will keep people, especially youth and students close to their roots, Dr TR Paarivendhar, MP, and Founder and Chancellor, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, said.

On the occasion of the 2nd Annual SRM Pongal Festival Celebrations organised by Tamil Perayam–Paarivendhar Students Tamil Forum, Paarivendhar said people needed not just basic material comforts but also had to be exposed to their culture, and tradition so that they retain close to their roots.

Youth and students especially should be aware of their rich tradition and heritage and such festivals offer them a chance to get a glimpse into it.

Stating that students from all over India and 60 foreign nations were studying at SRM IST, the Pongal Celebrations would provide memories for the foreign students to cherish forever in their lives.

Dr Ravi Pachamuthu, Pro-Chancellor (Administration), said such events were not meant for recreation and entertainment alone, but they would help in inculcating among the students, plenty of virtues. By contributing to organising a festival on such a grand scale, students would learn teamwork, relationship-building, and sacrifice in this phase, which he said was part of their lives.