Celebrating Brahmaputra on the Banks of the Ganga
Varanasi: Destination North East, the extravaganza promoting the North-Eastern region, culture, heritage and business opportunities was today inaugurated by the Minister of State (IC), Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Dr. Jitendra Singh at IIT (BHU) in the presence of Mizoram Chief Minister Mr. PU Zoramthanga, Secretary (DoNER) Dr InderJit Singh and Secretary (NEC) K Moses Chalai. Other personalities and celebrities present during the inauguration were Zeenat Aman (Film Actress), RP Singh (Cricketer), VC BHU Rakesh Bhatnagar, DG Assam Rifles Lt. Gen Sukhdeep Sangwan, Member NEC Mr Biman Dutta, and host of other dignitaries.
Ministry of DoNER has organized this 4-day extravaganza in Varanasi for the promotion and popularization of the North-Eastern region. The Previous editions of ‘Destination North East’ were held in Delhi and Chandigarh. Destination NE 2019 will provide live experience to the audience. All the 8 NE states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura will be present at the event along with their handicrafts, handloom, organic products and cultural troupes.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the idea of organising such events is to bring the rest of India closer to North East and to have experience of the rich culture of North East. He said that development of North East is on the priority of Government since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge. He added that PM himself has visited NE more than 30 times during his first term. The development of all peripheral states is important for India to grow in a harmonious manner, he said adding that many initiatives have been taken to bring connectivity in the region. He added that young entrepreneurs are also travelling to the North East to find new avenues. He also mentioned about Venture fund for start-ups and Bamboo Park being set up in Assam. He informed that a Business to the Business session has also been scheduled on one of the days for the business communities to explore opportunities in the NE states.
During the festival, the visitors will have live experiences of the artisans and artists from the NE states working on their looms and crafts, performing their songs and dances in the open stage during the day. Indigenous games will also be performed where visitors can also participate. Live kitchens with recipes from NE and Uttar Pradesh will be serving delicacies throughout the event. The Ganga and Brahmaputra basins offer striking similarities in terms of ancient culture, diverse handlooms and silk products, spiritual heritage and vibrant tourist hubs. Therefore Varanasi was the natural choice for hosting the Destination North East 2019. Central Government agencies like NERCORMP, CBTC, NERAMAC, NEHHDC, Lalit Kala Academy, International Centre for Cultural Relations are also present at the showcase event.
Music is the soul of NE. Destination North East 2019 has mega-stars from NE regions as well as other parts of the country lending their voices and talents to the event. Shillong Chamber Choir, Papon, SaurabheeDebbarma, BorkungHrangkhawl, Rekha Bhardwaj amongst others are some of the leading voices who are likely to be showcased there. Given the importance of NE vis-a-vis Organic products, food processing, tourism, water development, seminars will be held every morning on these subjects with the participation of experts in the respective fields.
The North-Eastern region has a lot of offer to visitors including Eco-tourism, culture, heritage and business. North Eastern Region is ideal for both passive and adventure forms of Eco-Tourism with wildlife sanctuary/parks, good scenic beauty, waterfalls, forests etc. The region has much to offer for the active adventure segment including river rafting among others, trekking of various grades and levels, rock climbing, hang gliding etc. Culture is an important aspect and has the potential to attract selective culture tourists to the North Eastern Region. The rich tribal heritage and culture are what differentiates North East with the rest of India. Another major differentiator is the rich and varying Arts and Craft across the 8 North Eastern States. Here handicrafts are part of everyday life. One significant aspect is the local community’s active participation in increasing tourist-community cultural interfaces.
In view of an attractive natural environment and growing trends of outbound business meets, the NER also offers ample opportunities for the business tourism segment. Domestic and international connectivity, High-end hotels, Convention Centres, resort-based convention facilities etc. have all contributed to the expansion of this Sector.
