VISAKHAPATNAM: One day that will be deeply etched in Sunidhi Roy’s memory forever will probably be the one when she spoke in Parliament. “Not many get the opportunity to have breakfast at the Parliament museum and interact with the leaders of our country,” the third-year BA student from St Joseph’s College for Women in Visakhapatnam said.
Sunidhi was among the few students who was chosen to speak at the Central Hall of the Parliament on October 2 on the occasion of the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
The programme was organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK) under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The Civil services aspirant was the only student from Andhra Pradesh to be selected for the programme.
“It felt great being a part of the Nehru Yuva Kendra’s initiative. I spoke about Mahatma Gandhi’s political and spiritual journeys and the sense of collective identity of being an Indian that he instilled in us despite having diverse cultures,” she recalled.
Describing the opportunity as prestigious, Sunidhi said, “A brief interaction with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was definitely the highlight of the day. It was short and brief but very informative.”She also had the opportunity to visit the Lok Sabha, learn about the proceedings, rules and regulations. She toured the Raj Ghat, Pradhan Mantri Sanghralay, India Gate and War memorial.
“It was an exuberant moment to watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi pay tributes to the national leaders,” she gleamed.With a spark in her eyes, Sunidhi recollected the words of Union Minister Piyush Goyal who had said that one among the students would some day become a Member of Parliament.
“It just strengthened my will to achieve my aim to become a Civil services officer,” she expressed. “I want to serve the nation to the best of my capacity. The whole experience boosted my confidence and it will forever inspire me to become a great person,” Sunidhi said.
NSS Programme Officer and Botany Head of Department at St Joseph’s, Dr Manikya Kumari was all praises for Sunidhi. She helped Sunidhi prepare for her D-Day. “Sunidhi is not just academically bright, she is also a good person. She is hardworking, humble, amicable, sincere and loyal. She is a good orator, too,” Kumari proudly said.