The three-day Jhalak Poorvottar Youth Fest, which began on January 12, was a treat from the Northeast to the people of Delhi. The fest kicked off with a procession from the Red Fort on January 12, which was graced by about two lakh people.

The procession saw a colourful display of art, culture and tradition of all Northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura — and Sikkim. Jhalak Poorvottar (Glimpse of Northeast) focused on Northeast India, with the motive to create a pool between the people of Northeast and the rest of India and to spread the message of “their culture is their identity”.

Organised by Integrated Talent Development Mission (ITDM), the fest gave all the Northeastern states a single platform to perform in the national capital. “We wanted to give a platform to all states from the Northeast. Though many fests have been organised in the national capital on the Northeast, all the seven states, including Sikkim, were never given the same stage to perform. If there was Assam, there was no Nagaland, or if there was Manipur there was no Mizoram. We wanted to show that all Northeastern states are one and we too are part of India,” says Hirak Jyoti Kalita, secretary of ITDM.

The fest also marked the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. “Swami Vivekananda emphasised the power of the youth to a great extent. So this fest is also a tribute to the great man who always said that youth life is the most precious life,” adds Mr Kalita.

The highlight of the fest was cultural events and performances by about 200 artists — all from the Northeastern states — at the Siri Fort Auditorium on January 13. Assam showcased Sattriya Nritya and Bihu; Mizoram showcased Cheraw dance (also called bamboo dance), Thang-ta and Ras Leela; Manipur showcased their traditional Manipuri dance and martial art; Nagaland showcased Naga dance etc. Similarly, other states, too, represented their dance forms. There we about 8 to 18 performers in each group showcasing the traditional music and dance of each state.

Urmila Jha, one of the dancers from Dibrugarh, Assam, who showcased the traditional way the people of Assam celebrate their festivals, said, “We wanted to show what happens in our culture and how we celebrate our festivals. We divided into two groups — boys and girls — where 15 to 17 college-going students performed Bihu. Along with that we also sang Bihu songs to celebrate.”

Along with the cultural programme a fashion show (Paridhaan) and a painting exhibition on the Northeast (Pradarshini) was the attraction of the fest. In the painting exhibition, young artist and renowned painter Dr Sunil Viswakarma presented an exhibition of 20 of his best painting describing the link between Mahabharat kaal and Northeast. The fashion show showed different traditional dresses of the Northeastern states, where boys and girls wore traditional dresses and walked the ramp to showcasetheir culture. “The painting exhibition showed the cultural depth of the Northeast and the fashion show showed the traditional dresses of the people of Northeast,” says Gulshan Kumar, co-convener of ITDM.

“The way Delhiites have responded to the fest is immense. When we visited the Rashtrapati Bhavan along with our dancers they requested us to organise another event in the coming three months so that people of Delhi know more about Northeast. When we visited the DU campuses, they asked if we agree they will organise a fest based on Notheast. They said people don’t want to see Honey Singh but the traditions of Northeast India. So the words describe how people have responded to the Youth Fest,” says Mr Kumar.

The fest celebrations ended with Bihu-Sankranta Ustav, where the performers divided into two groups and performed in Gurgaon and Mehrauli. The ustav marked a way people of Northeast celebrate Bihu and Makar Sankranti. “Bihu and Makar Sankranti are two festivals celebrated in two different parts of India but the idea and message are same. We want to show that the people of Northeast also have similar kinds of traditions as followed in other parts of India. Only the names are different,” said the co-convenor.

Hopefully, there will be more traditional and cultural events that would bring the people of Northeast closer to us and help bridge the cultural gap. Happy Bihu and Makar Sankranti.