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Zonal Cultural Centres need to preserve art forms: Sonia
Vandana Shukla/TNS

Panchkula, April 13
It was an impressive spectacle — of a confluence of technology and the folk arts of India. On a massive stage built on the Parade Grounds, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, National Advisory Council, inaugurated the silver jubilee celebrations of the seven Zonal Cultural Centres of India in a traditional manner by beating a nagara (drum).

The first Zonal Cultural Centre was conceived and established by late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Patiala in November 1985.

The purpose of setting up of the seven cultural zones was to initiate a kind of osmotic process between the cultural traditions of different regions of India and to take the cultural richness of the country to remote villages. But over the years, the ZCCs, as these are known, have become too urban-centric.

“It is a pity that the artistes, who carry the responsibility of preserving our tradition, have feeble shoulders due to economic limitations...and many art forms are fading. The zonal centres will have to take up these challenges,” said Sonia Gandhi in her address.

Tracing a chronology of major cultural landmarks, established by leaders like Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru and Dr Maulana Azad, Dr Manmohan Singh urged the ZCCs and the people of India to recognise, reward and propagate folk arts so that coming generations can identify with the spirit of unity in diversity that is unique to India.

Others who spoke were Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana CM, and Kumari Selja, Minister of Culture, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, in whose constituency the celebrations are being held. The Governors of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab too were present.

A choreographed amalgamation of different cultural streams of India was presented in a breathtaking spectacle titled “Mati ke rang”, supported by 10 life-size LCD screens that magnified the ambience of the region whose dance was presented on the stage.

The show began with Pung Cholam from Manipur, wherein the drummers play percussion while performing against-gravity rhythmic acrobatics. And the confluence continued with streams of dancers from Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Daman, Rajasthan, Orissa and other states. On the day of Baisakhi, the ‘jhoomar’ dancers of Punjab helped the audience join in the celebrations.

Incidentally, a report prepared by Mani Shankar Aiyar, Sitaram Mahapatra and Amol Palekar, submitted to the Centre in 2011, has found the working of ZCCs against the spirit in which they were created. The report suggests the ZCCs to be more rural-centric and free of bureaucracy.