Students of Banaras Hindu University celebrate at the East Zone Inter-university Youth Festival in Ranchi on Saturday. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, Dec. 6: The five-day East Zone Inter-university Youth Festival ended today with students resolving to become the torch-bearers of national integration.

The students also pledged to fight against terrorism, which is presently the biggest challenge for the country. They paid tribute to men who died fighting against the terrorists in Mumbai and remembered the family members of the terror victims.

Banaras Hindu University became the over-all champion in the cultural competition held for the past four days.

Manipur University stood second at the fest.

The winners were honoured with mementoes and certificates of merit.

“The responsibility of national unity and integration at this crucial juncture rests on the youth of the day,” said Sudhir Kumar Tripathi, the principal secretary to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi, who took over charge as Razi is away for a Haj pilgrimage to Mecca.

As many as 15 universities, including Visva-Bharati (Santiniketan), Kalyani University, Sambalpur University, Kashi Vidyapeeth, Ravishankar Shukla University (Jaipur), and ISM, Dhanbad, competed in the festival, along with state universities.

The youth festival helped students learn from each other about the cultural diversity of their competitors.

Former Ranchi University vice-chancellor Ram Dayal Munda advised the students to live up to their resolution taken on the final day of the festival.

“The most important work of the students is to spread the message of national integration among others living in their region,” Munda told the students of the various universities.

On the last day of the festival, the students of other universities were treated to paika (war) dance.

The students of Ranchi University also presented the Chhotanagpuri dance.

Ranchi University vice-chancellor A.A. Khan said that such youth festivals help the cause of national unity and integration, which is the need of the hour.