Duty-bound to celebrate the lives of freedom fighters, says Vice-president

Calling on people to revisit the lives of freedom fighters, and learn about their contributions and sacrifices for the country, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu said all Indians are duty-bound to celebrate their lives.

“We must include life stories of freedom fighters and social reformers in school textbooks to inspire younger generations. People should also visit places like the Statue of Unity and the Cellular Jail to learn about their sacrifices,” he said.

Mr. Naidu was speaking at the inaugural programme of the three-day Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (National Cultural Festival), flagship festival of the Ministry of Culture to take the country’s vibrant cultural diversity to the masses, at the NTR stadium here on Friday.

The mahotsav, Mr. Naidu said, has a twin purpose — to remember sacrifices of freedom fighters, and to promote and preserve the rich Indian cultural heritage and art forms.

All praise for the Ministry of Culture for organising the event, he also emphasised the need for timely, affordable credit and marketing avenues to artisans to make them self-reliant.

Artistes from Madhya Pradesh performing ‘Rai’ dance as part of the three-day Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav in Hyderabad on Friday. (Source: NAGARA GOPAL)

Underlining the importance of the festival, Mr. Naidu said the showcase of traditional performing artistes and craftspersons under one roof, while it has also been evolving as a platform for performance and exhibition of rare and extinct forms, will go a long way in educating the younger generations.

On the occasion, Mr. Naidu also inaugurated an exhibition on prominent Telugu freedom fighters, a ‘startup zone’ to support early stage startups, and visited stalls showcasing culture from different parts of the country.

The event witnessed special choreographed performances by 400 folk artistes and folk dance forms from 21 States, classical dance and music performances.

The event, earlier in the day witnessed participation of Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who inaugurated the craft and food exhibition at the venue.

Governor of Haryana Bandaru Dattatreya, and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region G. Kishan Reddy also took part in the event.