INVC NEWS
New Delhi ,
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 to Shri Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Chhayanaut (a cultural organisation of Bangladesh) and Shri Ram Vanji Sutar respectively, at a function held here today. The awardees were selected by a jury headed by the Prime Minister and includes Chief Justice of India Justice Ranjan Gogoi, former Chief Election Commissioner Shri N Gopalaswami and the President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations Shri Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said that culture is the lifeblood of any nation as it gives identity to it. He said, “India’s rich cultural heritage was preserved in the face of colonisation and foreign invasion.” This was possible due to the contribution of people like Gurudev Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, he added.
PM said that India’s multi-dimensional heritage was well reflected in the works of Gurudev. Rabindra Sangeet has all the colours of our country and it is not bound by a language. He called Tagore’s teachings timeless and said that the world stands to learn a great deal from his works. “He recognised the folk arts and traditional dances as indicative of Indian culture,” PM said.
Exponent of Manipuri dance Shri Rajkumar Singhajit Singh was given the award for the year 2014. Chhayanaut, a cultural organization of Bangladesh was given the award for 2015 for its role in the promotion of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s works and Bangla arts. Renowned sculptor and scholar Shri Ram Vanji Sutar was given the award for 2016.
Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony was instituted by the Government from 2012 during the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. It is awarded annually and carries an amount of One Crore rupees, a citation in a Scroll, a Plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft or handloom item.
