Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first Bodoland Mahotsav on Friday at the SAI Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in Delhi and address a gathering on the occasion, Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on Thursday.
The two-day festival is a mega event on language, literature and culture to sustain peace and build a vibrant Bodo society, a statement from the PMO read.
It aims to integrate the indigenous Bodo people residing not only in Bodoland but other parts of Assam, West Bengal, Nepal and international border areas of the Northeast.
The theme for the festival is Peace and Harmony for Prosperous Bharat with a focus on the rich culture, language and education of the Bodo community along with other communities from the Bodoland Territorial Region .
It aims to capitalise on the richness of cultural and linguistic heritage, ecological biodiversity and touristic potential of Bodoland.
Significantly, the festival is also about celebrating the remarkable journey of recovery and resilience ever since the signing of the Bodo Peace Accord in 2020, the statement read.
The peace agreement not only resolved decades of conflict, violence, and loss of life in Bodoland but also served as a catalyst for other peace settlements, it further read.
The session on The rich Bodo culture, tradition and literature contributing towards Indian heritage and traditions, will be the highlight of the festival and witness deliberations on the rich Bodo culture, traditions, language and literature.
Another session on the Challenges and opportunities of mother tongue medium-of-instruction through National Education Policy, 2020, will also be held.
A thematic discussion on Indigenous cultural meet and discussion on building vibrant Bodoland region through culture and tourism, will be organised with the objective of promoting tourism and culture of the Bodoland region.
The gathering will include more than 5,000 cultural, linguistic and art enthusiasts attending the event from the Bodoland region, Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, other parts of India, and also from neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan, amongothers.
