HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Jan 24: in a move to foster close ties, people of neighbouring states, a three-day open air drama festival from January 27 to 29 will be held at a ground on the foothills along the Assam-Nagaland border, off Mariani, in Titabar co-district of Jorhat district.
The festival titled ‘3rd Foothills National Drama Festival 2025’’ is being organised at ‘Hamaj Hitoshi Deben Duwarah Hammanaý Kshetra’ under the banner of ‘Padodeshiyo Samanay Mancha’ (Foothills Coordination Forum’) in collaboration with the ‘North East Indeginous People’s Forum, at Bhavanipur Kasojan Gaon, Bahani.
An organising committee with president Manuj Borgohain and working president J Zekiho Achumi was formed for the purpose having members from villages of both the States. Manuj Kumar Borgohain, said that the Mancha was formed in 2021 with members from villages from border areas of both the states, with an aim to strengthenten the age-old friendly relations between villages of Assam and those of Nagaland along the inter-State boundary with the motto òf unity.
Borgohain said that the village on the other side of the border of the festival venue have been actively involved in organising the event by setting up the stage below the hillock along with making bamboo benches for audiences and cleaning up the area.
Borgohain stated that altogether 10 drama groups including two from Nagaland –Zoe Theatre & Art Association, So-Li-Su Theatre and one from Tripura, Natya Sansad, and rest from Assam would participate in the festival with three dramas each on the first two days and four on the concluding day.
Borgohain further informed that the organisers are appealing to all the participants and the people including drama enthusiasts who were expected to come to the festival from across Assam, Nagaland and other neighbouring States to cooperate the make the event a plastic-free one.