Preservation and promotion of North Eastern Region needs attention, says Selja

Union Culture Minister Kumari Selja has said that her ministry attaches great importance to the preservation and promotion of the unique, rich and diverse art and culture of the North East Region (NER).

Speaking at a function to mark the inauguration of the Centre for North Eastern Culture (CENC) here today, she said, as part of its efforts to preserve cultural traditions of the region, Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) has set up its North-East Centre in Shillong. The SNA has documented many of the traditional theatre forms of the region. It has also set up a Sattriya Kendra in Guwahati, which looks after the Sattriya tradition of Assam.

"The North Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (NEZCC) at Dimapur is operating a Theatre Rejuvenation Scheme to preserve, propagate and support indigenous theatre groups in the North Eastern Region. NEZCC has also been organizing traditional theatre festivals, experimental theatre festivals, theatre shows and theatre workshops in different North-Eastern States," said Selja.

"The National School of Drama also organises an exclusive theatre festival, called the Poorvottar Natya Samaroh, for showcasing plays of distinguished directors and major traditions of the North East," she added.

Kumari Selja said the Centre for North Eastern Culture (CENC) at Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Dwarka, New Delhi is a joint effort of North Eastern Council and CCRT.

She said the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, had met a group of youth from the NE States on October 10, 2009. This visit was facilitated by Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. The decision to set up a North-East Cultural Centre in Delhi is an outcome of that meeting.

The objective was to promote dissemination of the rich cultural heritage of the North-Eastern Region to the people of NCR.

"One of the important objectives of CNEC under the aegis of CCRT is to increase awareness about the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the North East," said Selja.

"The CNEC will evolve to be a vital platform in this part of the country for dissemination of knowledge about culture and heritage of North East," she added. (ANI)