Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 17 announced financial assistance of Rs 3 crore every year for organizing the Karbi Youth Festival at Taralangso in Diphu.
Karbi Youth Festival is one of the oldest tribal festivals of the Northeast.
Addressing the festival gathering, CM Sarma said the victory journey of the Karbi Youth Festival started in 1974 and for 50 years the festival has united the Karbi Anglong district and kept the other communities together in a harmonious manner.
Sarma exuded confidence that the festival will aid greatly in dissemination and spread of Karbi culture and heritage within the perimeter of the county and beyond. Referring to Karbi Youth Festival as the oldest festival in the Northeast dedicated to promotion of folk culture, Sarma said the aim now should be to take the festival to the next level by transforming it into a leading youth festival not only in the Northeast but in the entire country. With this motive in mind, from next year onwards the department of culture of Government of Assam shall be providing an amount of Rs 3 crores every year for organizing the festival, the chief minister declared.
Referring to the cancelation of the scheduled visit of president Droupadi Murmu to Karbi Youth Festival owing to inclement weather conditions, Sarma said all attempts will be made to see that the president is present in the next Karbi Youth Festival to be held next year. In future, the possibility of inviting the prime minister to Karbi Youth Festival shall also be explored, he added.
Assam Legislative Assembly deputy speaker Nomal Momin, revenue and disaster management minister Yogen Mohan, power minister Nandita Garlosa, chief executive member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Tuliram Ronghang attended the meeting.
