‘Ka Longtynrai Jong Ka Longrynieng’ festival held as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav concluded in Shillong today with a mix of cultural events.
Union minister of state for culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal attended the event. During his valedictory address, he stressed on the importance of language.
He enlightened the gathering on the use of Hindi instead of other languages, as a tag to the 75th year celebration of India’s independence. “…after completing our 75 years, we want that India must be AtmaNirbhar… self-sustainable, self-reliant not only in economy but in language also. That is why, the Indian words, the Indian language, ‘AzadiKaAmritMahotsav’ have been used,” he said.
The union minister also sang his composition of Har Ghar Tiranga campaign while the audience joined in.
Chairperson of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s Committee for Empowerment of Women, Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the people of Meghalaya should “endure our roots, which is in line with nationalism. She reminded the gathering of the rich culture of the state and urged the Union MoS to facilitate inclusion and recognition of the Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The festival conducted under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture was jointly organised by the Shillong Law College and Positive Energy Art Foundation.
Artistes from Ri Bhoi, Ri War, Jaiñtia, Khasi and the Garo Hills played indigenous tunes accompanied with songs and dances. An Art and Craft exhibition were also held to test and showcase the skills of local artisans in the art of pottery-making, traditional craft-making, drawing, sketching and painting.
Winners of various competitions held during the three-day event were also felicitated during the function.
