IGNCA-NERC Organizes Poetry Reading Event

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, North East Regional Centre (IGNCA-NERC) organized an event Voices of North East India: Poets and Writers Evening as part of the monthly series programme on 24th June. The speaker was noted poet Madhu Raghavendra and the session was chaired by Prof. Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri from the Department of English, Gauhati University. 

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India having its Regional Centre at Guwahati. The fundamental approach of the Centre in all its work is multi-disciplinary and holistic. The initiative was conceptualise by Dr.Richa Negi, Regional Director of IGNCA-NERC. Dr. Negi is bringing in a whole lot of new ideas and innovations in culture conservancy and arts contributing to the increasing outreach of IGNCA’s work in the North East.

The event was graced by Shri V B Pyarelal, Chief Commissioner, PRANAM Commission. He encouraged the young and aspiring writers present to actively part take in the IGNCA NERC events. 

The event began with an opening remarks by Prof. Asha Kuthari on the global aspects of poetry and how it poetry is a vehicle of truth since ages. She also ideated the long standing tradition of performance poetry in India and the need for poetry to be brought back to the lives of the people. Madhu performed a wonderful mix of social and personal poems on guitar and violin. On the guitar was Riaz Ahmed, a Guwahati based independent musician who plays with the bands Lady Midday, Bottle Rockets India and Fellow swimmers. On the violin was Riyan who is also a member of Bottle Rockets India and is a part of the musical project, Enajori which attempts to promote Assamese music.

It was a rare evening in Guwahati that witnessed the jugalbandi of music and poetry. The IGNCA-NERC looks forward to hosting more of such events in future as a part of their monthly programme series.