EMN
DIMAPUR, JANUARY 17
The national cultural festival, Maati Ke Rang, which started from January 13 at the NEZCC Complex in Dimapur ended with a mega cultural programme, representing the diverse cultural flavours of India (through seven Zonal Cultural Centres), after the Additional Secretary and the Governor delivered their speech, and the Director of NEZCC gave a vote of thanks.
Earlier, chief host and chairperson of the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC), Governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya being brought into the NEZCC Complex in Dimapur on a traditional log drum pulled by young Naga men in traditional attire.
The Governor took a look at all the thematic pavilions first, buying little arts and crafts from each of the stalls. He was accompanied by Additional Secretary to Government of India’s Ministry of Culture, KK Mittal, Director of NEZCC, Lipokmar Tzudir, and DC of Dimapur, Wezope Kenye, among others. The NEZCC complex was yet again filled with thousands of people packing the venue up fully. Greeting the international performing artists from India’s neighbouring countries, as well as the artists from other states of India, Governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya was all praise for the NEZCC Director, Lipokmar Tzudir, for taking up this challenge of hosting Maati Ke Rang in Dimapur and putting together the event.
“India is a secular, plural and diverse country. North East is full of diversity, and India is known for its unity in diversity—different cultures thriving together. Nagaland also has 16 tribes in a population of 20 lakh...we are diverse and we can move forward together,” said the Governor, addressing the audience in Hindi.
Colourful culmination of Maati Ke Rang 2015
“There are 8 states in the North East but sometimes it feels like one way traffic,” acknowledged Acharya, stating that many people from here go to metropolitan cities in India but people from there do not visit the North East so often—“it is their loss,” he noted.
The image of India has greatly improved under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi, said Acharya, and India has the power to become economically and culturally superior. Nagaland, he asserted, has mineral oil, cement, coal, gems, gold (near Tuensang area) and “our youth.” In India, 68% of the population is currently between 18 to 35 years of age. “We should be proud of this,” said the Governor, informing that nowhere in the world except in China and India is the population of youth so strong. “The 21st century belongs to India—we have the potential to take it forward,” he maintained. With technology and a secular state at hand, we can progress greatly—all religions can live in this country freely. “India is powerful but we do not recognize our own potential,” stated Acharya.
Complimenting the NEZCC for having given a platform to people from all over the region to meet and interact, the Governor of Nagaland was hopeful that “people-to-people meets can take our relationships forward,” also with respect to India’s relationship with its neighbouring countries. He asked the performing artists from Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh to take home the message that “Let us all move forward in a democratic way. Violence and guns are not the answer.”
In conclusion, he proposed the idea of creating a ‘mini India’ at the NEZCC in Dimapur just like Kisama Heritage Village. He ended with the slogans ‘Kuknalim’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai.’
Giving a brief history of Maati Ke Rang, KK Mittal, also the chief guest for the closing ceremony, informed that the Government of India had intentionally decided to host this edition of the festival in the North East. “We, the Government of India, are trying to generate cross cultivation of cultures in India, and this is possible through festivals like Maati Ke Rang,” said the Additional Secretary. There is a special component in “our schemes,” he stated, to provide artists and the people the chance to see various cultural forms prevalent in the country. This is an opportunity for the people of the North East to witness cultures from other parts of India and vice versa and it raised awareness of cultures. Mittal hoped that such cultural exchanges can be promoted in the future with even richer content. He complimented the NEZCC on behalf of the Government of India for being able to hold such an event, which has increased the capacity of the region to host such events.
Director of NEZCC, Lipokmar Tzudir, thanked the Government of India’s Ministry of Culture for giving NEZCC the opportunity to host this year’s Maati Ke Rang. Thanking the ministry for reposing faith in the NEZCC, Dimapur, he said that “we are capable of holding national cultural festivals in the future too.” He placed the suggestion before the Ministry of Culture to have an annual cultural festival of this kind in each of the states of the North East.
The Director also thanked the Government of Nagaland, the Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur and the district administration, medical and fire aid, the Diphupar Village Council and Diphupar Youth Organisation, the Mulongyimsen Senso Telongjem, staff of the NEZCC and ART Entertainment.
He informed that it is a vision of the Government of India to develop a healthier relationship with neighbouring countries. For this, 33 international performing artists attended Maati Ke Rang. 468 crasfts persons, performing artists and food experts came from all over India. 255 artists and youth participated in the festival from Dimapur.
“Beyond the building of infrastructure here, the success of this festival is to have brought the nation together on the 20 acres of land at NEZCC. We have grown together in the last 5 days, and it is our earnest request that that we take forward our experiences,” said Tzudir.
