The Hindu : National : Call to highlight North India’s cultural legacy

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Call to highlight North India’s cultural legacy

Special Correspondent

Art, culture have a significant role in building a peaceful society: Gen. Rodrigues

JAIPUR: Punjab Governor and North Zone Cultural Centre Chairman S.F. Rodrigues on Wednesday called for evolving a “well-structured and coordinated” plan by all northern States to highlight the unique cultural traditions of the region rooted in its social and religious ethos. “The magnificent legacy of North India has an immense potential for growth,” he said.

Presiding over a meeting of the North Zone Cultural Centre governing body here Gen. (Retd.) Rodrigues said all stakeholders should make sincere and committed efforts to preserve the northern States’ heritage in all its rich diversity by adopting a multi-pronged approach. He pointed out that art and culture had a significant role in building a just and peaceful human society.

Gen. Rodrigues, who is also the Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, said all States of the northern region had a glorious past of arts and crafts associated with ancient history depicted in folklores, legendary tales and literary works.

“It is high time we attached primacy to this subject and worked together for projection of our heritage,” he added. Underlining the need for revival of fascinating handicrafts and different art forms, the Governor said the North Zone Cultural Centre had set up a huge sculpture park in Kalagram – a hub of cultural activities in Chandigarh – which was perhaps the largest of its kind in the country.

200 sculptures

More than 200 big sculptures crafted by renowned artists have been installed and the focus lights and background music are the added features making the park more attractive. Gen. Rodrigues said the North Zone Cultural Centre deserved praise for organising various art and cultural events with active participation of people from all walks of life.

Kalagram is being restructured and its activities are being expanded to ensure that the younger generation imbibes the time-tested cultural values of the country, he announced.

Gen. Rodrigues said special programmes should be launched in different art forms for associating rural and disadvantaged people with the progressive developments: “The artistic excellence of the poor and downtrodden should be given a fillip in order to tap their potential in the traditional art fields such as theatre, music and dance.”

Cultural events

North Zone Cultural Centre director R.T. Zindal said the institution had organised a number of programmes and events in the region during 2007-08. They included Kurukshetra Utsav-Geeta Jayanti Samaroh, Prakriti festival of tribal arts, commemoration of the 1857 war of independence, and cultural events in the rural areas, military cantonments, educational institutions and remote localities.

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