Centre plans special session to showcase rich cultural heritage of NE

Concerned over  security and discrimination of Northeast people in the national capital, the Union home ministry has decided to hold a special session to highlight issues of insurgency, skill development, investments and student security issues concerning the people of North East region in November.

The special session will be part of a four day carnival, beginning 7 November, to highlight the rich cultural heritage and other positive aspects of the North East states. In a note to Delhi chief secretary S K Srivastava, the ministry has said it has decided to hold the carnival not only in the city, but also in Mumbai and other states to promote the rich cultural tradition of the region and help them to connect better with the rest of India.

The government had organised a North East festival in Delhi last year. Titled ‘Connecting People – Celebrating Life’ was organised by the home ministry to showcase the rich heritage of the region. The festival was organized in association with a trust, Trend MMS. 

The key feature of the festival was five times boxing world champion, Mary Kom, who along with other prominent persons participated in the function. Another important aspect of the festival was a panel discussion on ‘Look East Policy’, which provided strategic inputs to help shape the Centre’s approach towards the region.

Trend MMS organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta is now organizing the North East festival, in association with the Union ministry, in Delhi. The focus will be to showcase folk dance from 24 tribes of the region, traditional sports, ethnic food and rock music.

A ministry official said that the government has been asked to publicise the event so that maximum people could participate in it.