Guwahati: The 27th Foundation Day of the Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture was celebrated by presenting ‘VKIC Sanmaan’ to renown scholar and community leader Thunbui Zeliang for his steadfast, preserving and promoting indigenous faith in his home state – Nagaland here on Wednesday.
A teacher by profession in Kohima, Zeliang belongs to Nzau village in Peren district of Nagaland.
Being inspired by the ideology of Ma Rani Gaidinliu and as part of Zeliangrong Heraka Education of Akhil Bharatiya Vanawasi Kalyan Ashram since 2001, he has been dedicated to working for the preservation and protection of the indigenous religion and culture of Zeliangrong community not only in Nagaland but also in Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, the VKIC acknowledged while presenting the ‘Sanmaan’ to him.
Gulab Chand Kataria, the Governor of Assam, speaking as Chief Guest in the celebration, narrated how the young and dynamic leader Swami Vivekananda shaped the future of India’s culture and its ethos.
The guest of honour, retired Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita, who happened to be the general officer commanding in Eastern Command, delivered a talk on “Northeast of My Dreams”, in which he expressed opportunities and challenges the region and its people have faced.
“The key to achieving our dream for the northeast lies in ensuring peace and stability. These are basic mandatory requirements and without them, progress and economic development cannot take place,” Gen Kalita contended.
While delivering the keynote address, Dr. Joram Begi, Chairman, VKIC, said that the main objective of the VKIC, a project of Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumar, is to establish a commonality among all the communities in the northeast region. It also endevours to prepare the intellectual fountainheads of the communities for preserving, promoting and their indigenous culture.
During the programme, Padmashri Hemaprova Chutia, a renowned Indian weaver and artisan from Dibrugarh, Assam was felicitated by Lt. Gen (Retd.) Rana Pratap Kalita.
