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NE Women�s Drama Festival gets under way

By SOBHAPATI SAMOM

KEIRAO, Dec 24 - The first ever North East Women�s Drama Festival and a national seminar on theatre got under way at the picturesque Khenjonglang Theatre Complex here this afternoon.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, accompanied by Keirao MLA L Rameshwor, noted theatre personalities Kirti Jain, Heisnam Sabitri and Maya Krishna Rao, besides the chairperson of the festival committee, K Radhakumar, attended the inaugural function.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Biren Singh urged the women folk to play a proactive role in combating the menace of drug abuse in the State. He said many people have died and others suffered due to the rampant use of drugs and other intoxicants. So a women�s movement like the historic Nupi Lal (women�s war in the past) is need of the hour to curb the menace, the Chief Minister stressed.

Appreciating the initiative to organise the women�s theatre festival in the State, Biren Singh said that theatre plays a significant role in maintaining harmony among people and educating the masses on social evils. He said that Manipur has towering figures like Ratan Thiyam in the field of theatre. Women have taken lead roles in different fields in Manipur, the Chief Minister said, that it is only appropriate that a drama festival has been organised by women directors in Manipur.

Urging the public not to occupy or construct buildings on paddy fields and agricultural land, Biren Singh warned that the State would have no agricultural land after 30 or 40 years if the current trend of expansion of residential land and construction of buildings continue unabated. He said that he would look into the proposal of opening a primary health sub-centre at Keirao, besides other welfare measures.

�The objective of the 10-day festival is to empower the women in the region through our works,� said festival director Dr S Thaninleima. Feminism has been one such movement that has found a voice through theatre, she added.

The festival is being organised by Khengjonglang, a centre of theatre research, production and community welfare, in association with the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy. A souvenir published was also released during the function.

A national seminar on theatre will also be held as part of the festival from December 25 to 28. Prominent women theatre directors from the North East � Ima Sabitri, S Thaninleima of Khengjonglang (Manipur), Rojibita Gogoi of Jirsong Theatre (Assam), Bijoli Chakraborty of Jagitri Culture Society (Tripura), Toijam Shila of Prospective Repertory Theatre (Manipur), Kismat Bano of Wings Theatre (Assam) and L Randhoni of PADA (Manipur) will present their plays in the festival.

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