Love your neighbours, says Governor

SHILLONG, FEB 1:“The world should become one family. Conflicts and contradictions must be eliminated. Love your neighbours. Love others”, said Meghalaya Governor V. Shanmuganathan while speaking at the inauguration of  the four days conference on Oral Traditions: Continuity and Transformations- North East India and South East Asia held at the State Convention Centre on Monday.

The Governor in his address cited the interpersonal relationships that exist in the society and reminded the fact of culture and tradition evolving through generations with knowledge of   the same being handed over from one generation to the next via oral traditions.

Recalling the experiences he encountered through his various visits to the far flung villages of Meghalaya and other North Eastern States, the Governor stated about the attachment that the villagers of the north east have towards their land and the environment on which they depend majorly for food and shelter.

He also said that women are held in high esteem in this part of the country with the absence of female foeticide, and the girl child’s rights over property bearing testimony to that fact.

The Governor further stressed that development of India is possible only with the development of North East India and expressed that he visualises dreams of seeing the ‘Golden Period’ of North East India in terms of overall development.

Earlier in the programme, the Governor released a book named Shadow & Light- a Kaleidoscope of Manipur.

It may be mentioned that this conference on ‘Oral Traditions’ is organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Heritage (INTACH) in collaboration with the Centre for Community knowledge, Ambedkar University, Delhi and supported by DONER Ministry, Govt of India, Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures, Shillong and Lady Keane College, Shillong.

The inter disciplinary conference brings together scholars, artists and organizations involved in the material and  visual representation of North Eastern region and seeks to highlight the inter-cultural and historical linkages between communities of North East India with South Asia and South East Asia. It also endeavours to specifically look at living cultures tangible and intangible- as transformations in the spheres of exchange and spheres of social value.

Others who spoke at  the inaugural session of the conference  includes Major General (Retd) LK Gupta, Chairman INTACH, PBO Warjri, Meghalaya Chief Secretary,  Patricia Mukhim, senior journalist and Editor of The Shillong Times and Ambassador C Rajasekhar, Director General, Indian Council for Cultural Relations(ICCR).-By Our Reporter