Dimapur gets a glimpse of the dynamic cultures of non Naga communities
EMN
Dimapur, March 19
Local folk dance and music took a back-seat on Saturday evening and Dimapurains got a glimpse of the tapestry of the dynamic cultures of the non Naga communities residing in Dimapur at the North East Cultural Zone Centre (NEZCC) Spring Festival which is underway at NEZCC Complex.
An initiative of NEZCC to foster national integration and enhance cross- culture communication, presentations from the non Naga communities, some of who have been residing in Dimapur for more than a century, displayed they have equally unique and colourful traditions of folk dance and music.
The evening aptly titled ‘Cosmopolitan Night’ is a celebration of the fact that the whole of India is already in Dimapur-dubbed as a mini India.
The event displayed different cultures through dance and song performances from the Bengali community (Sargam Cultural Association), Marwari community (Shri Digamber Jain Samaj), Gorkha community (Dimapur Gorkha Union), South Indian community (Kerala Samaj Dimapur), Bihari community (Sunita Singh) and the Adivasi community (Adivasi Jagriti Samaj Dimapur).
Martial artiste dance of Manipur-Thang Ta and folk dance from Haryana were further highlights of the evening.
NEZCC director Lipokmar Tzudir, while terming the evening as a “celebration of friendship” acknowledged that the different non Naga communities residing in the region have been instrumental in acting as goodwill ambassadors not only for Nagaland but for the entire North East region.
Emphasizing that the very strength of the country lies in the different experiences and the knowledge that every community represents, Tzudir gave a clarion call to all for a concerted effort to let the different communities from other part of the country feel more at home with expectation that they will play a wider role as ambassadors of this region by defining “what this region is about and taking part in the development of this region.”
Saturday evening event ‘Cosmopolitan Night’ is a first for NEZCC and is expected to be a yearly event.
Also regaling the audiences were talented artistes Malabika Kachari and Sahil Shaikh who entertained with Hindi melodies.
Late into the evening, local stand-up comedians Purneken, Chujang and Apen Lotha transformed the windy atmosphere into an animated mood as they brought laughter to the audiences with their repertoire of local jokes, songs, accent mimicry and social satire coupled with comical performances.
On Sunday, the last day of the Spring Festival 2016 celebration, Alobo Naga and the Band and Indian Idol season-3 winner Prashant Tamang will perform at the NEZCC complex.
