GUWAHATI:
Union minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Narayan Rane inaugurated the 10th edition of the North East Festival at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on December 23.
Inaugurating the festival, Rane said, “The primary goal of this festival organised in Delhi is to showcase the best of Northeast’s cultural resources and act as an enticing gateway for the exceptional talents of the region.”
He said that there is an emerging startup culture in the northeast, and we feel that they should take maximum advantage of technology to boost their businesses.
Day one of the folk stage saw Sattriya by Dr. Bani Bora and Team, Rikahampada Dance from Arunachal Pradesh, Cheraw Dance from Mizoram and Tamang Selo Dance from Sikkim the major attraction was the Bihu performance by kids.
The first seven editions were organised from 2013 to 2019 respectively at IGNCA, Janpath, New Delhi. The last two editions were held in Guwahati, in a hybrid model, due to the spike in COVID cases in the national capital.
Ever since its inception in 2013, this festival has contributed a lot in boosting tourism in the northeastern states.
The 2022 edition has an array of colourful dance dramas, music performances, fashion shows, open-mic sessions, interactive sessions, art and photography exhibitions and a lot more. A North East Rock Battle will be organised with top rock bands from across India vying for the title.
As many as 50 food stalls will showcase diverse cuisines not only from Northeast India but across Delhi-NCR to encourage cross-cultural awareness and exchange.
An exhibition displaying ‘Made in North East’ products, will have an MSME zone, wherein more than 100 MSME entrepreneurs of North East India will showcase agri-horti products, handloom, handicrafts, processed food products and much more. “Dozens of stalls will come up for this exhibition to create a marketplace wherein visitors can explore and buy authentic products from the region”, said the organisers. Moreover, tourism stalls will be put up to promote the region’s popular and off-beat places.
A B2B Tourism Meet will be held in which stakeholders from the North East will interact with leading tour operators. Director General, Tourism, Govt.of India, GK Vardhana Rao will grace the occasion. A B2B Meet on Agriculture by APEDA will also be organised wherein agro entrepreneurs from the North East will get the chance to interact with prominent buyers from Delhi-NCR.
A cultural extravaganza showcasing folk dances of eight States of North East, including Satriya dance, Naga folk dance, Manipuri martial arts, bamboo dance, Tamang Selo dance from Sikkim, Rikhampada dance of Arunachal Pradesh, to name just a few, will be inaugurated by Governor of Assam and Nagaland, Prof.Jagdish Mukhi and Governor of Mizoram, Dr Hari Banu Kambhampati. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goel and Secretary, North Eastern Council, K Moses Chalai will also be present.
Popular bands like Klanzan, Khanzaadi, Flying Cupid, Serpants of Pakhangba, Traffic Jam, When Chai Met Toast, Terrace Effect, Sangpoispo and singing sensations Zubeen Garg, Teri Miko, Thana Chake, Jessie Lyngdoh, Achurjya Barpatra, Bipul Chettri and The Travelling Band will rock the stage.
Fashion designers Meghali Das and Arbin Tonjam will put up their haute couture ensembles to be donned by top models, who will walk the ramp to the accompaniment of electrifying fusion of folk and rock music. Collections from fashion brands such as Maxwell, Baru, Rosemary, Adriana, Sampriti Goswami will be on display.
A booklet titled ‘Know Your North East’ will be released by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence of Governor of Mizoram, Dr Kambhampati, Secretary, DoNER, Lok Ranjan, Secretary, Culture, Govt. of India, Govind Mohan and Commissioner of Police, Delhi, Sanjay Arora. This book is planned to be further distributed in schools and universities for educating and inspiring people to explore and identify the region’s rich heritage.
The event will come to a close on December 26 with Union Minister for Tourism and DoNER, G.Kishan Reddy gracing the valedictory session.
Chief Organiser of North East Festival, Shyamkanu Mahanta, said, “After two years of lockdown, we are elated to be back to our favourite place, Delhi, the city which has always showered love on us profusely.”
“As the name goes, North East Festival – Connecting people Celebrating life – is a festival that quintessentially celebrates the inherent beauty, diversity, and integrity of North East India. The USP of this festival is how we seamlessly integrate elements of social cohesion, cultural heritage, and economic welfare, making it truly an immersive experience for all.”
Mahanta further said that the annual event in the national capital has been able to sensitise people about the region vis-a-vis the need to recognise and respect its opulent and diverse heritage.
“People are now aware of our culture and traditions, and that has helped in bringing down racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia – major issues confronted by North East people. This time around, we’ve chosen a much bigger venue, thus expecting greater visitors’ footfall,” the Chief Organiser quipped.