Sishu Kishore Utsav perfect platform to showcase the talent of children

Kolkata: The Sishu Kishore Utsav (Child Youth Festival), which is set to be held from January 2 to January 6 at Ektara Mancha (Rabindra Sadan Mukta Mancha), was inaugurated by Minister of State for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Shashi Panja, along with Shishu Kishore Akademi president Arpita Ghosh and Information and Cultural Affairs department secretary Piyali Sengupta on Thursday.

"Today, every child is having mobile phone in their hands. They are playing games and watching videos. Physical and cultural activities are reducing among them. This is making them into introverts. At the same time, it is also making them non-creative. In a bid to enhance their creativity and exhibit their talent, the utsav has come up as the perfect platform for them," said Panja.

"I was amazed by the performance of the children here. They represent the unity in diversity culture of our country. We are grateful to our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been focusing on Sishu Kishore Utsav to bring out the talent of the children," the minister added.

The Utsav, which has a tagline 'Ahladey Paanch Din', is a platform for talented children and juveniles to showcase their skills as the forum brings forward exquisite performances of aptitude and flair that is unimaginable. Around 1,000 children will be participating in the utsav this year.

"In 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had given me the responsibility to conduct the Sishu Kishore Utsav. She had then said that this Utsav should not only be conducted in Kolkata but also in different other places across the state. We have been conducting the Utsav in zillas for two years and since the third year, we have been conducting it in Kolkata. We are grateful to our Chief Minister for her support and encouragement," said Ghosh.

"The Utsav will continue till January 6. I urge you to come to the Utsav and encourage us to conduct it with more enthusiasm next year," said Sengupta, while addressing the people.