PM Hails Theatre Festival Showcasing History Of Arunachal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed delight at the ‘Arunachal Rang Mahotsav’, a four-day theatre festival being held in different parts of the country to tell the untold history of Arunachal Pradesh to a wider audience.
    
The final leg of the festival commenced at the Srimanta Sankardeva International Auditorium at Guwahati in Assam on Tuesday. 
    
“Arunachal Rang Mahotsav is more than just a programme; it's a celebration of Arunachal Pradesh's rich cultural tapestry. It aligns with the principles of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat,”  Modi said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
    
Sharing a statement posted on X by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Modi said, “Good to see this programme being held in different parts of India including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Guwahati.”
    
To showcase the rich history of Arunachal Pradesh through drama, four plays were performed in each city. The festival was held for four days each in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata from July 18. 
    
“None of our history lessons ever spoke about our heroes who contributed greatly to the freedom struggle against the
 British rule. 
    
“However, thanks to the efforts of our local researchers that several heroic tales of our heroes were unearthed. We are glad that the coming generation will now get to read stories of bravery, courage and sacrifice by our unsung heroes of Arunachal Pradesh,” Khandu said.
    
He expressed his gratitude to the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who attended the first day of the programme at Guwah
ati on Tuesday.
    
Arunachal Pradesh and Assam “share a common history and glimpses of it was showcased through the play, ‘Chowpha-Plang-Lu’ that narrated the Tai Khamti rebellion of 1839,” Khandu said in his off
icial X handle.
    
The Khamti tribe’s resistance against the British forces in 1839 is recognised as one of the boldest attempts made in the Eastern frontier of the Indian subcontinent. 
    
Besides ‘Chowpha-Plang-Lu’, the other three plays are ‘Arunachal Ek Safarnama’, ‘Poju Mimak’ and ‘Ninu 80’ ‘Chowpha-Plang-Lu’.
    
“For lack of proper documentation, our rich history still remains unknown to the world. Even we, the natives, are unaware of important historical events that occurred in our land,” Khandu said. 
    
The plays were directed by Riken Ngomle, Assistant Professor at the National School of Drama.