Dhaka’s ‘Corner of Meghalaya’ to promote arts and cultural exchange

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 16, 2023

Arts and Culture Minister Paul Lyngdoh informed that Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh will have a “corner of Meghalaya” through the installation of a memorial dedicated to Khasi warrior U Tirot Sing Syiem who died as a prisoner in Dhaka. 

He was speaking at an award ceremony on Saturday jointly hosted by Anuprerona, Riti Academy and Media Plus where three artistes of the State – Tanbor Swer, Daminot Wankhar and Adlyne Khonglam including eight recipients from Assam were honoured.

Minister Lyngdoh fondly recalled his childhood memories of listening to Khasi traditional songs sung by the recipients of the awards, Tanbor Swer and the association of  Daminot J Wankhar and Adlyne Khonglam in the album produced by KSU while he was the leader.

He proposed that the Khasi philosophy of the nine huts and the seven huts be propagated and get it recognized internationally.

Lyngdoh also spoke at length on the upliftment of arts and culture in the State including the institution of separate awards for the arts and the renaming of the Shillong International Centre for Performing Arts and Culture (SICPAC) as the Lariti International Center for Performing Arts and Culture.

The Commissioner & Secretary Arts and Culture Department Frederick Roy Kharkongor said that the state of Meghalaya is not only a land of natural wonders but it is a land brimming with arts and culture. He said, “We’d like to think of Meghalaya as a state, which is rooted in nature but connected to culture.”

Stating that he had a chat with the minister on instituting another award besides the state award – U Tirot Sing award for arts and culture, he said that the minister is very keen to have an annual Meghalaya art award as well.

He said, “And under his leadership, I’m sure that this new initiative will bear fruit so that we can recognize various performers who have excelled in the field and to encourage them to blossom and to flourish more.”

On the other hand, he spoke of an idea to link arts and crafts to lives and livelihoods and make it into a creative economy.

He said, “Art itself is an area which has a tremendous potential, especially in the Northeast, where we are so inherently rich with arts and crafts that we need to monetize. We need to link it to lives and livelihoods. That way it has its own domain and importance.”

He further informed that an initiative to start with arts and crafts villages wherein a few of them have been identified.

Some of these arts and culture villages were identified on their strong points be it in pottery, arts and craft, sculptures, wood craft.

Kharkongor said, “Similarly, we have many arts and crafts villages across Meghalaya and when we run them and we recognize them, I’m sure that people will come to these villages which have living heritage, artistic heritage, and they will be able to come as tourists come as visitors.”