Expression of Cultural Unity

The three-day mega cultural event ‘Ishan Manthan’ was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Culture G Kishan Reddy on March 25.

Speaking about the development of the north-east Bharat, G Kishan Reddy said that the Union Government is pioneering many development projects in the region. In addition to spending one lakh crore on the rail network and 55 lakh crores on the road network in the north-east, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also created a ‘political network’ with the regional parties that ensures smooth Governance and development of the states.

“It was the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee who set up a separate ministry for the North-East. People in the north-east are contributing a lot to conserve forests and protect the environment,” he said.

Ishan Manthan is an attempt to celebrate the plural expressions of North-East India. It can be understood as “North East Brainstorming”. The North-Eastern part of India holds great importance in the imagination of our Nation-hood.

Delivering the keynote address, Prajna Pravah National Convenor Shri J Nandakumar said that the cultural diversity of the north-east is essentially the manifestation of the cultural unity of Bharat.

“The underlying unity is manifested as diversity. We have developed the habit of Over emphasising differences and ignoring the threads of unity. The continuance of colonial education, even after seven decades of independence, perpetuates the myths created by the British. There are rampant distortions and misinterpretations of our history, culture, religion and society,” Shri J Nandakumar said.

Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, the vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, also addressed the gathering and said that Bharat has never conquered any part of the world using military power but through culture, trade and commerce. She also noted that Bharat has culturally influenced the entire South Asian region.

The inaugural session also witnessed the release of two books titled Lok, Beyond Folk, a book on the Lok Culture edited by Shri J Nandakumar and Jewels of North East India.

Dr Sachidananda Joshi, Member Secretary of IGNCA, said that the north-east region, which we refer to today, was once the heart of Akhand Bharat. Priyanka Mishra, IPS director of IGNCA, delivered the vote of thanks. The IGNCA, in a release, said that the to and from cross-movement of poems and hymns from North-East to other parts of India had maintained a well-knitted cultural and spiritual connection. The unity of India can be well understood from the example of the confluence of Manipuri Raas Leela with Mathura’s Raas; Manipuri Raas stands as one of the astounding illustrations of the ancient connection between various parts of India.

Despite the vicissitudes faced in the medieval and colonial eras, this dance form has inspired and transgressed the boundaries of time and space and became a harbinger of cultural expression in India. This idea is the core of the cultural unity of India, which says that we are one but expressed in different colours. In other words, our diversity has proliferated in unity.

There are food stalls from all over the North-East, and there are multiple seminars every day focusing on the art and culture of the region. Entry to the festival is free.

The Cultural Minister launched “India’s First Augment Reality Competition”. Where people donning virtual North East headgears will disseminate the plural culture of the North East.

In his concluding remarks, the Union minister requested people to join the mega event with their family and friends and experience the artistic and cultural richness of the region.