By Aminul Islam Mirja
NEW DELHI, Feb 18, 2019 (BSS) – India today conferred its state-
sponsored prestigious “Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony” on Bangladesh’s
leading cultural group Chhayanaut for promoting spirit of cultural harmony.
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind handed over the award to Chhayanaut
President Dr Sanjida Khatun for the year 2015 at an impressive ceremony at
Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra here this morning.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said this award is a celebration
of Indian traditions of culture and of civilisational wealth – whether in
literature or music, art or drama, sculpture or handicrafts, design or
digital art.
“Each region in our country has a distinct cultural identity. Yet, in
its essence, culture does not divide – it unites and harmonises all of India
and all of humanity,” he added.
Felicitating the award winners, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit along with him to
Santiniketan in April last year for inauguration of Bangladesh Bhavan there.
“It is rare that PMs of two countries can be brought together for a
cultural cause. Tagore is at its root,” he added.
Mentioning that Tagore has penned Bangladesh’s national anthem, he
commended Chhayanaut for working towards promoting and propagating the poet’s
ideals and cultural values across the world.
Receiving the award, Dr Khatun, in her speech, said India, by honouring
Chhayanaut, has bound the cultural group in a bond of gratitude and will
inspire it to work even harder to continue its job.
She said Chhayanaut was born in 1961 at a time when Pakistan tried to
control and regimentalise the art and literature of Bangalis.
Others dignitaries, who were present at the function also included
Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Culture, Dr Mahesh Sharma
and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali.
“This organization (Chhayanaut) was part of the movement for an
independent Bangladesh that provided a platform for cultural expression and
assertion of the Bengali identity at a time when such activities were
considered anti-state and acts of sedition,” said a citation prior to handing
over the award.
It also mentioned that Chhayanaut’s singers organizes performances to
inspire freedom fighters and refugees during Bangladesh’s 1971 War of
Liberation and in the post independence period its involvement in seeking
creative ways to intensify the practice of mainstream music and culture.
The organisation upholds its liberal and progressive tradition promoting
the spirit of cultural harmony, the citation said adding Chayanaut has played
a leading role in the promotion of Tagore’s works and Bangla arts and
literature, not only within Bangladesh, but all across the world.
“The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony recognizes the contribution of
the organization in upholding the liberal progressive tradition of universal
humanism of Gurudev and in promoting the spirit of cultural harmony,” it
added.
Octogenerian Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, a leading exponent, choreographer
and Indian classical dance guru and nonagenarian Indian sculptor Ram Vanji
Sutar are two others who received the honour for the year 2014 and 2016 at
the same ceremony for their contribution for promoting values of cultural
harmony as well.
Singhajit Singh, who was born in Imphal, Monipur in 1932, is a highly
accomplished and senior most guru, exponent, choreographer, prolific writer
and scholar of Manipuri dance.
Ram Vanji Sutar, a renowned sculptor and scholar, was born in Dhule
District of Maharashtra on February 19, 1925. A gold medallist from Sir J. J.
School of Art, Bombay in sculpture, Shri Sutar started his career in 1954 as
a modeller in the Department of Archaeology, South Western Circle,
Aurangabad.
India instituted the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony in 2012, in
recognition of Gurudev’s contribution to humanity at large with his works and
ideas, coinciding with his 150th birth anniversary.
Individuals, associations, institutions or organizations are conferred
annually with the award for their outstanding contribution towards promoting
values of cultural harmony while it carried an amount of one crore Indian
rupee, a citation in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional
handicraft item.
Indian Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and music maestro Zubin Mehta
were the first two recipients of the award in 2012 and 2013.