Govt to give ektaras to bauls taking part in Independence Day parade

Kolkata: In a first of its kind initiative, the Mamata Banerjee government will be giving ektaras to the bauls who will be taking part in the Independence Day parade on Red Road.

It may be mentioned that 'Lok Prasar Prakalpa' is one of the dream projects of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Under the project, around 2 lakh folk artistes are being benefitted and it has helped in saving many folk art forms from getting extinct.

Folk artistes who have been benefitted by the Lok Prasar Prakalpa, also include a large number of bauls and this year, more than 30 of them will be getting opportunity to take part in the Independence Day parade.

Going a step ahead, the state government is making all preparations to take the presentation of the bauls to a new level. "Performance of bauls is always heart-teaching. So beside their unique performance, stress has also been given on their attire. Each of them will be provided with an ektara and at the same time, all of them will be provided dresses of similar design," said a state government official.

According to the official, all the ektaras are of same look and size. The step has been taken to lend a uniqueness to their presentation.

"The attire for them will be designed maintaining the tradition and culture of bauls," the official said, adding that there will not be even the slightest difference in the colour with their traditional dress.

Besides performance of folk artistes during the Independence Day parade, there will also be tableaus of different departments, including that of the Information and Cultural Affairs department.

Sources said that preliminary discussion over the design and theme of the tableau of the Information and Cultural Affairs department has already taken place. But the final decision in this regard is yet to be taken.

It may be recalled that the tableau of the department for the Republic Day parade on Red Road was Ekotai Sampriti. The Chief Minister had announced that the tableau would be showcased in the Republic Day parade in Kolkata, after it was rejected in Delhi.