The State is now in the throes of cultural and sporting activities with two big initiatives undertaken by the present Government. Sanskritik Mahasangram, wherein people of Assam will hum some of the finest compositions of Jyoti Prasad, Bishnu Rabha, Bhupen Hazarika and Rabindra Nath Tagore while gyrating with ethnic dancers in the coming months, is aimed at not only locating talents from the rural areas of the State but also to use culture as a tool to unite and mend fences. The extravaganza, if one may say so, will see at least 10 lakh cultural enthusiasts expressing themselves at over 3,000 fora, no mean feat. The details that have gone into planning the mahasangram are overwhelming for anyone to note. Yet, unperturbed, the district and the State machinery have moved on in their quest.
The same is the case with the Khel Maharan. It is being planned across five key disciplines and expected to involve more than 50 lakh sports lovers. The idea here is noteworthy. To give talents a chance to emerge. India’s recent sporting success and the success of our sportspersons at the national and international levels are a pointer to the fact that Government patronage will go a long way in producing champions.
The role of any Government is to create an ecosystem for excellence. One can also see this happening in Assam where the present dispensation is leaving no proverbial stone unturned in ensuring that our talents go a long way in making a mark, be it sprinting to glory or singing and dancing their way to people’s hearts. What will now be keenly watched will be how the ideas generated in Dispur are executed at the ground.
