Tagore Award handed to RK Singhajit
Source: The Sangai Express

New Delhi, February 18 2019: President Ram Nath Kovind today presented the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 to Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Chhayanaut (a cultural organisation of Bangladesh) and Ram Vanji Sutar respectively, at a function held in New Delhi today (February 18, 2019) .

Speaking at the occasion, the President said that this Award is a celebration of Indian traditions of culture and of "our 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" .

Pointing to the contributions of the award winners, the President said that Rajkumar Singhajit Singh is one of "our greatest exponents of Manipuri dance.

He has bridged this age-old art form of Manipur with not only modern sensibilities but with other parts of the country.

Chhayanaut is an organisation that has promoted and preserved the works and philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh.

And Ram Vanji Sutar is a sculptor and scholar who represents an art tradition that goes back thousands of years to our ancient past.

These days he is most well-known for the Statue of Unity".

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Culture, Dr Mahesh Sharma.

The awardees were selected by a jury headed by the Prime Minister and includes Chief Justice of India Justice Ranjan Gogoi, former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami and the President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.

Speaking at the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that culture is the lifeblood of any Nation as it gives identity to it.

He said, "India's rich cultural heritage was preserved in the face of colonisation and foreign invasion".

This was possible due to the contribution of people like Gurudev Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, he added.

The PM said that India's multi-dimensional heritage was well reflected in the works of Gurudev.

"Rabindra Sangeet has all the colours of our country and it is not bound by a language," he said and called Tagore's teachings timeless and said that the world stands to learn a great deal from his works.

"He recognised the folk arts and traditional dances as indicative of Indian culture," the Prime Minister added.

Exponent of Manipuri dance Rajkumar Singhajit Singh was given the award for the year 2014.Chhayanaut, a cultural organization of Bangladesh was given the award for 2015 for its role in the promotion of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's works and Bangla arts.

Renowned sculptor and scholar Shri Ram Vanji Sutar was given the award for 2016.Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony was instituted by the Government from 2012 during the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.

It is awarded annually and carries an amount of Rs one crore, a citation in a Scroll, a Plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft or handloom item.

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