Meingal illuminates faces of unsung talents

Post Bureau, Guwahati (Dec 9): Four luminaries who adorned the dais at the Meingal Exemplary Talent Awards 2012 and Meingal Bishishto Shilpi Puroskar 2012, two from either sex, gave a mixed message to the community members to achieve excellence in various fields at a function that continued till late night on Saturday in Guwahati.

Meingal Exemplary Talent 2012 Awardees

Meingal is a Guwahati-based NGO that extends scholarships (prizes) and awards to students and artistes. While writer Prabhas Kanti Sinha made a fervent appeal to the youth of the Bishnupriya Manipuri community to opt for competitive examinations under the UPSC and various other civil service examinations in states instead of their stereotyped choice for engineering and medical courses as career options, Tezpur University professor and short-story writer Smriti Kumar Sinha appealed to the youths to accept all odds and hurdles in their progress as challenges if they are to achieve excellence in their respective fields.

While SAO, FTR SSB Anjali Sinha showered praise on those parents, including her own, who toiled to extend all facilities to their girl children for education in the early and mid-yestercentury when the community members had not encouraged women education, retired State Council of Educational Research and Training, Assam director Kumkum Sinha showered praise on Meingal for its endeavour to extend prizes to a number of students and honour to unsung artistes by throwing light in their faces in recognition to their excellence in various fields.

Citing a report published in one of the issues of Manipuri, a magazine, in 1939 in which one Doyamoy Singha had appealed to the Bishnupriya Manipuri community members to rid themselves of too much influence of Brahmins so as to adopt themselves with the changing world, writer Col (retd) Bijay Sinha questioned the rationale behind the community members welcoming esalpas (Bishnupriya Manipuri kirtanango singers) who could not sing songs in their mother tongue ever after over 60 years of independence.

Bishnupriya Manipuri Writers’ Forum president Dils Lakshmindra Sinha laid emphasis on creating an atmosphere conducive for literary development in the community. Meanwhile, a live painting by Shakti K Sinha stole the show.

He painted without using any brush at the tune of melodious Manipuri flute played at the staccato of Manipuri khul. Among the host of students and artistes awarded, two editors of Bishnupriya Manipuri magazines – Anjana Sinha of Nua Dristi, Guwahati (BM and Assamese) and Anita Sinha of Kakei, Tripura – were felicitated for their life-time dedication in the field of journalism.

Khulist Mani Sinha, esalpa Adhir Sinha, duhar (dancer) Ajit Sinha, artist Shakti K Sinha, folk singer Priti Sinha, Rajdhari Kalamai Sinha (Kapoksena Sinha), Sushila Sinha (social work), Chandralekha Sinha (social work), and others were awarded by the NGO. The function concluded with a cultural programme by folk artiste (lyricist) Chandrakanti Sinha who brought in singers from Bangladesh, Tripura and Assam.

Courtesy: Seven Sisters Post