Bisgaon Manipuri Festival 2020 celebrated in Bangladesh
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 10 2020:
The first edition of the Bisgaon Manipuri Festival 2020 was celebrated at Bangladesh's Chunaraghat, Habiganj today.
The festival aimed at cementing the Manipuri culture and encouraging Manipuris in Bangladesh especially the youth to learn their roots, said renown writer and advisor Manipuri Festival Celebration Council AK Seram at the inauguration ceremony.
He said that the festival will enable exchange of ideas and culture between the Manipuris in Bangladesh and those from Manipur who are attending the festival.
Speaking about the festival, Celebration Committee member secretary Seram Niranjan expressed concern that the Manipuri language, culture and literature are fading away.
Manipuris in Bangladesh, especially the youth are not familiar with many of the Manipuri culture, he said stating that the 'festival aims to promote the culture among the Manipuri youth in Bangladesh' .
It may be noted that a 29 member team including members of the famed Manipuri music group Blue Band led by Patriotic Writers' Forum Manipur secretary Rakesh Naorem is in Bangladesh for the festival.
At the event, Rakesh Naorem said that the "festival will be instrumental in cementing the bond between the distant blood relatives of Bangladesh and Manipur".
Appealing the Manipuri youth in Bangladesh to study their roots, Rakesh encouraged them to study Manipuri language, culture and tradition.
They should be proud of their origin and promote their own identity, he added.
As part of the festival, a peace rally was also taken out and tributes were paid at the Sahid Minar in Gajipur High School & College campus.
Six achievers (from Bisgaon) in different fields - Phandom Surendra Singh (Pung), Thokchom Dhaneshwar (Nat Sankirtan), Gurumayum Nilamani Sharma (educationist), AK Seram (Literature), Dortor P Ramod Ranjan Singh and Doctor Arunkumar Sharma were feted at the event.
The festival witnessed different cultural events including the performance of the Bangladesh Academy for Manipuri Culture and musical concert by the Blue Band.
Asst High Commissioner of India, Sylhet L Krishnamurti, Festival Committee joint convenor Khoirom Kaminikumar Singh, Sylhet Metropolitan Police, SP Bibhuti Bhusan Banerji and Manipur Legislative Assembly Deputy Director L Bimol Singh and others attended the festival.