GUWAHATI: The sixth edition of the North East Festival which begins in New Delhi from Friday will feature a special debate on the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the complete draft of which has been published in Assam on July 30 this year.
The special seminar titled – “Untruth, Half-Truth and Truth” will be held at the conference hall of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts at Janpath from noon on Saturday. Some of the most noteworthy voices from the Northeast, leaders from various communities, media houses, intellectuals will delve deep into the NRC and its significance at the seminar.
The Supreme Court-monitored NRC process aims at identifying illegal immigrants, who came to Assam after March 25, 1971, the cut-off date fixed according to the Assam Accord.
Ever since Assam set the trend by coming out with the draft, there has been unprecedented interest among media and general public about the ramifications of the draft which has identified 40 lakh people who are yet to produce valid documents to prove their Indian citizenship.
The three-day festival promises to be a spectacle, bringing together the magnificent North East under one forum.
Music will be at the forefront of the festival again with participants such as the brand ambassador of the festival, Zubeen Garg, singer Papon, Meghalaya’s Lou Majaw, rapper Khasi Bloodz, classical rock band Still Waters, Naga folk band Tetseo Sisters, Arunachali folk band Omak Komut Collective and Pune based popular rock band Aswekeepsearching among others in the line-up.
Besides, the North East Festival Rock Battle will see 25 of the top rock bands of Delhi’s biggest colleges fight it out in a competition.
Shyamkanu Mahanta, the founder and chief organiser of the North East Festival said, “The biggest positive of the festival is that it has been able to connect with Delhi and helped in bridging the gap between the region and the rest of the country. It has helped in giving a platform for northeastern people to showcase their talent at the national capital. This year, the festival promises to be even bigger.”
Supported by central government agencies, state governments of North East, the North East Festival is driven by the socio-cultural trust, Trend MMS in collaboration with IGNCA.
One of the main attractions is the spectacular presentation of cuisines from the region.
“This year, there will be more than 40 food stalls exhibiting varieties of food from Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim. The region’s food is famous for the herbs and their health quotient, which will be showcased in plenty. Another attraction will be a presentation of organic fruits and vegetables of the region,” an official from the organising committee said.
The daytime carnival will feature beautiful dance forms of North East such as the Hojagiri dance of Tripura, Naga Warrior dance, bamboo (Cheraw) dance of Mizoram and many more.
The festival will also have three evenings of vibrant fashion – in which the most talented designers from the region such as Yana Ngoba, Barsha Aditya Singh, Rupert Lynrah, Escape Engmoiya, Sanghamitra Phukon, Bompie Riram, Jagrity Phukan, Khrielasier Liezietsu will showcase their creations through 30 of best North Eastern models.
A special Assam handloom exhibition, an art and a photography exhibition along with a fashion exhibition by photographers of the North East are poised to woo crowds to the venue.
|
|