PASIGHAT, Sep 12: As part of the month-long celebration of Vande Mataram @ 150 (VM150), sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Arunachal Pradesh University (APU), Pasighat today hosted a series of Literary and Fine Arts Competitions.
Organized by the Department of Mass Communication, the competitions mark the prelude to the main three-day national celebration to be held from October 7 to 9 next at the APU campus, which will be inaugurated by the Union Minister of Culture.
As many as 160 students from across East Siang district participated in four competitions – Painting & Poster Making, Essay Writing, Poetry Writing and Vande Mataram Singing – held in junior and senior categories at the academic block.
The event witnessed vibrant participation from Jawaharlal Nehru College (JNC), APU, North East Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR), Daying Ering College of Teacher Education (DECTE), Govt Polytechnic College Pasighat, along with students from GHSS Mebo, IGJGHSS Mirbuk, GSS Balek, Daying Ering School, PM SHRI Gandhi School and Siang Royal Academy.
The Painting and Poster-Making Competition drew 37 participants (16 Junior, 21 Senior), Essay Writing saw 63 participants (32 Junior, 31 Senior), Poetry Writing attracted 40 participants (25 Junior, 15 Senior), while the Vande Mataram Singing Competition had 20 participants (10 in each category).
The competitions were designed around themes that connect the national narrative with the frontier’s lived experience, including ‘Vande Mataram at 150: Legacy and Relevance in Modern India’, ‘The Unsung Heroes of Arunachal Pradesh’s Freedom Struggle’, ‘What the Motherland Means to Me’, ‘The Frontier Landscape’, ‘National Integration’, and ‘Tribal Identity’.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Prem Taba, Convener VM150 said that Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, is not just a song but the soul of India’s freedom movement. He said the objective of VM150 is to provide youth a platform to express their understanding of history, culture, and national identity and to reflect on the idea of the motherland from the perspective of Arunachal Pradesh, the Land of the Rising Sun where Mother India wakes up first.
He informed that all competitions carry attractive cash prizes and certificates, and the results will be declared on October 7 during the inaugural ceremony of the grand celebration.
He further informed that the celebration will continue with a series of community-oriented programmes. “On September 13, we are organizing the ‘Run for Vande Mataram’ – 5.5 km Mini Marathon from Gandhi Chowk to APU, which will be flagged off by Kaling Moyong, State BJP president,” he said.
The programme was graced by Narmi Darang, Registrar APU; Prof P C Jena, Dean Academics, Likha Rinchin, Asstt Registrar (Academics), HoDs and faculty members of various departments, besides research scholars and students of the university.