Need for institute for promotion of Manipuri art & culture mooted
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 02 2014 : Kanglei Mime Theatre, Imphal (KMT) on Friday called upon Manipur Government to set up an institute for exclusive promotion and preservation of art and culture of the State.

A 30-day long workshop on Thang-Ta and Manipuri folk dances jointly organised by Performing Organization of Arts & Culture (POAC), Keirao Bitra and Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi concluded at the premises of POAC today.

Delivering a speech at the closing ceremony of the workshop, KMT, Imphal director Yumnam Sadananda urged Manipur Government to set up an institute for the State to exclusively promote and preserve its art and culture.

Sadananda said that many of the States in India have big art and culture institutes established under Ministry of Art & Culture, Government of India, but Manipur does not have such institutes so far despite its rich cultural heritage.

He said it was indeed commendable that a workshop on Thang-Ta and folk dance was held under the aegis of POAC with help from Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.

Such workshop would help in promotion of Thang-Ta and Manipuri folk dances.

Acknowledging that the number of Thang-Ta instructors has decreased in the State, he expressed his desire to instill the youth to master the entire knowledge and subtleties of Thang-Ta and take up research on the subject.

Efforts are also needed while taking up lessons of this traditional martial art from the teachers who do not easily demonstrate their willingness to train any one, he suggested and stressed on the need for documentation of the subtle art form by the present generation.

He noted, "Thang-Ta is an inalienable part of our culture.

This art form has many important lessons on discipline too" .

Sadananda flayed Ministers and MLAs of the State for citing often that Manipur is known throughout the world by its art and culture but doing nothing towards promotion of art and culture.

He also said without the help of the media, the world would have never recognized Manipuri art and culture.

Padmashree G Gourakishore, Director of Huyen Lallong Manipur Thang-Ta Cultural Association, Irilbung and M Modhuchandra, Pradhan of Keirao Gram Panchayat also shared the dais with POAC director Sadananda at the function.

Simple gifts were presented to all participants of the workshop on the occasion during which young students of POAC also performed Thang-Ta.

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