The state Government is going to organize 3–day interstate school competitions in two divisions of Kashmir and Jammu to provide potential students a platform to exhibit their talent in art, music and drama as also to promote cultural exchange among the diverse regions of the state.The announcement was made by Minister of Education, Naeem Akthar, while speaking at the state level competition of Kala Utsav 2015 held here today.The event is being held nationwide to promote art, culture and music under the Rashtirya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhyian (RMSA).The Minister of state for Education, Culture and Information, Priya Sethi was also present at the inauguration of the Utsva.Six winner teams of division level competitions from Kashmir and four from Jammu division performed at the state level Utsav in four categorize of Music, Dance, Drama and Visual arts.
Moved by the excellent performance by the participating students drawn from schools of Kashmir and Jammu divisions, the Minister asked the Education Department to prepare for similar events in the two divisions to bring out the hidden talent among the students and provide them opportunity to know and exchange their culture with their counterparts of different areas.“We must rise to the occasion and explore rich art, music and theatre embedded in the culture of our state” he said adding that this would also help the students of different parts of this wonderful state to come closer and know each other.
“It will be a beginning towards the integration of the state considering the fact that more or less people of different parts of the state are living in compartments”, he added.He also appreciated the efforts put in by the students and the organizers for successfully taking the long drawn event( Kala utsav) to its conclusion.
Referring to the dominant theme of save girl child campaign underlining the performances presented in each category, the Minister said that it gives him much pain to think that woman has become unsafe in the modern world. “The appeal to save the girl implies that we have to save her from her own parents is really a very painful Thought. This presents a dehumanized face of the modern world” he added and said it is great paradox that today the governments are forced to provide incentives to the parents to have girl child. He advised the woman to fight for themselves saying only a mother can save a future mother. “It is your fight as you have to overcome the male dominant society” he advised to all the mothers.
Later the Minister also distributed prizes among the winner and runner up teams in different categories. Impressed by the performance of a young boy from Government High School Nihal Pura in drama category, Baramulla, the Minister announced a special prize of ten thousand from him. The school also bagged the first prize in the category. The Governmnet Girls Higher Secondary School Kathua bagged first prize in Visual arts, while Government girls Higher Secondary School Dumi, Kathua was declared winner in Dance and Government Higher Secondary School, Sumbal Sonwari bagged first position in music.Senior functionaries of education and other departments were also present on the occasion.