After Covid hiatus, North East Festival returns to Delhi with thrust on local products, entrepreneurship

The colourful and diverse North East Festival is back in the national capital again after two years of the Covid-induced pandemic. Organisers are set to showcase the vibrant cultural diversity of India's relatively less explored region to a wider audience.

The tenth edition of the North East Festival will be inaugurated by G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

The four-day event will be held at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium premises during December 23-26.

Besides, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry; Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Law and Justice, and respective Chief Ministers of the region are likely to participate in the festival, the organisers said in a statement.

Since its inception in 2013, this larger-than-life festival has contributed towards a significant rise in boosting tourism in the northeastern states.

The first seven editions were organised from 2013 to 2019 respectively at IGNCA, Janpath, New Delhi, and witnessed massive crowds. The last two editions were held in Guwahati, in a hybrid model, due to the surge of Covid cases.

Chief Organiser of North East Festival, Shyamkanu Mahanta, said, "After two years of lockdown, social distancing, and various Covid-19 protocols, we are extremely happy and excited to be back to our favourite place; i.e., Delhi. The city has always given us love."

"As the name goes, North East Festival - Connecting people Celebrating life - is a festival that celebrates the beauty, diversity, and integrity of North East India. The USP of this festival is the way in which we seamlessly integrate elements of social cohesion, cultural heritage, and economic welfare, making them an immersive experience for all."

Mahanta added that hosting the annual event in the national capital has been able to sensitise people to recognise and respect the diverse heritage that the northeast region holds.

"People are now aware of our culture and traditions, and that has helped in reducing racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia - a major issue faced by North East Indians. This time, we've chosen a much bigger venue, thus expecting greater footfall," the chief organiser further said.

The 2022 North East Festival has an exciting line-up of colourful dance dramas, music performances, fashion shows, open-mic sessions and a lot more. A North East Rock Battle will be organized among various rock bands from across India.

As many as 50 food stalls will present diverse food items not only from Northeast India but across Delhi-NCR to encourage cross-cultural awareness and exchange.

The exhibition arena, which aims to showcase 'Made in North East' products, will have an MSME zone, wherein more than 100 MSME entrepreneurs of North East India will showcase agri-horti products, handloom, handicrafts, processed food products and much more.

Moreover, dozens of stalls will be put up for this exhibition and a marketplace will be created wherein visitors can explore and buy authentic and original products from the region, the organisers said in the statement. Additionally, tourism stalls will be set up to promote the region's popular and off-beat places.

The statement further said a booklet titled 'Know Your North East' will also be launched at the event, which will further be distributed in schools and universities for educating and inspiring people to explore and identify the region's rich heritage.

( With inputs from ANI )

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