Our culture is our identity

Bal Kala Sangam by Sanskar Bharati, Poorvottar ?

Sanskar Bharati Poorvottar, under its Vision 2020 project, organised a three-day mega cultural event, Bal Kala Sangam, at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati from December 29 to 31, 2011. Eight states of north-east region viz. Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim were represented by child artists of the age group of 8 to 15 years numbering approx 1,300, guardians, coordinators and organisers numbering about 700. A total of 62 of the total 86 districts were represented in the event.

The preparations for the event had begun one year in advance and during the whole year many workshops and other programmes were organised. This Mega event was the last effort.

Outdoor programmes like sports in the morning, 1,100 metre long painting, food complex, reception and enquiry counters were organised in the open campus grounds. Stage items like music, dance, theatre, elocution, interactive and felicitation sessions, as well as lodging, media centre and office were set up in the huge indoor stadium.

The Kala Sangam was inaugurated by Reception Committee Chairman, Justice Shri SN Phukan, former chief justice of Odisha High Court, by garlanding the statue of the late Dr Bhupen Hazarika and addressing the large gathering. Bhupen Sangeet was played in the background. Guwahati children sang Sadhayati Sanskar Bharati dheyageet. Shri Pranjal Saikia, working president, paid tributes to the late Dr Bhupen Hazarika and the late Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami. Assamese film star Shri Pronjal Saikia, Shri Arun Chakravorty, Madmashri Gaur Kishore Sharma, patron of Sanskar Bharati Shri Yogendraji, Sanskar Bharti Poorvottar president Shri Vimal Lath and senior RSS Pracharak Shrikrishan Motlag and were also present at the inaugural ceremony.

On the opening day, 1,100 metre long painting was the main attraction. Child artists from 8 states were provided with paints and plates. Brushes were brought by the children themselves. Each artist left a memorable stamp of his understanding of the culture. The theme Hamari Sanskriti: Hamari Pehchan (Our culture is our identity) was amply reflected on the giant canvas. This event was supervised by senior and established artists of the country.

Five interactive sessions were held over the three days with celebrities specially invited for the event. Initially, the child artists showed their talents in dancing to each of the celebrity and then they talked to them.

The session with famous Bhajan and Ghazal singer Shri Anup Jalota was made very instructive with poignant questions by child artists about music and his achievements. Shri Anup Jalota answered all their questions and also regaled the children with his famous and popular bhajans.

The session with Governor of Meghalaya Shri Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary, a scholar and senior statesman, who interacted with children in Meghalaya Raj Bhawan, was a success story. He shared the secrets of his humble childhood and achievements as a Police officer. He also went around the long painting and said he was deeply impressed. He administered an oath of corruption-free life to all the children.

The celebrated star of Hindi screen and an accomplished dancer-composer Hema Malini made it to the event in spite of her pressing engagements in New Delhi as a Rajya Sabha Member. She shared the dais with children from all the 8 states. She was highly impressed with the talents of the Bihu and Maharaas child dancers from Assam and Manipur respectively. She was also asked many questions which she replied eloquently. The simplicity of the children was to be seen to be believed. She invited the children to Mumbai to participate in an event being organised by her in the memory of her mother.

The celebrated classical singer, Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar, from Delhi, who with his famous Dhrupad Gayaki is a doyen of music of international fame, not only explained the simplicity of the classical music but also made them sing some lines with such ease that the whole stadium reverberated with resonance of the thousand odd throats of the children. It was as if the Samveda had taken a form in the indoor stadium.

Mahabharat serial fame Bhishma Pitamah and children’s favourite Shaktiman, Mukesh Khanna mingled with the children to their hearts’ content. He shared jokes with them, gave them autographs and invited all of them to be photographed with him. As could be seen, he was the darling of the child gathering.

(FOC)?