Hailakandi: In a vibrant celebration of culture and creativity, the Summer Cultural Workshops 2025 were formally inaugurated on Friday across four educational institutions in Hailakandi district, under the initiative of the Assam Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs. The workshops are being organised in collaboration with Shivdurga Club, with support from the district administration.

The initiative covers four key institutions: Indrakumari Girls’ Higher Secondary School and Lakhinagar High School under the 121-Hailakandi Legislative Assembly constituency, and PM Shri Premloc hon Higher Secondary School in Mohanpur and PM Shri Jamira Higher Secondary School under the 122-Algapur–Katlicherra constituency.

The fifteen-day programme aims to introduce school students to foundational training in various cultural disciplines including dance, music, drama, painting, yoga, and sports. The workshops are designed to nurture young talent and foster a deeper appreciation of the arts.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Cultural Affairs) Deepmala Goala and ADC (Education) Tridib Roy stated that this initiative reflects the government’s commitment to holistic development among students during the summer break. District Commissioner Nisarg Hivare, through a formal directive, constituted constituency-based management committees to oversee the programme. Tapas Dutta, Inspector of Schools, has been appointed as Chairman of both committees, while Snehasish Shekhar Roy, District Cultural Development Officer, serves as Member Secretary.

Other key members of the committees include Hailakandi Block Education Officer Manoj Kairi, Katlicherra Block Education Officer Nazmul Haque Laskar, Indrakumari Girls’ HS School Principal Dipak Chakraborty, Acting Principal of Lakhinagar Model HS School Snehasish Upadhyay, Acting Principal of PM Shri Jamira HS School Sufian Siddiqui, and cultural figures such as Satyabrata Purkayastha, Anubha Dey, Shankar Choudhury, and Ramkrishna Chakraborty.

The workshop at Indrakumari Girls’ Higher Secondary School was inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the presence of teachers and students. The ceremonial lamp was lit by veteran tabla teacher and school management committee member Satyabrata Purkayastha, along with Katlicherra Block Education Officer Nazmul Haque Laskar and trainers Dipshankar Pal, Rimon Dev, and Jyotish Deka. The inaugural song was performed by two students from Sudarshan Music Academy.

Delivering the welcome address, management committee member Shankar Choudhury highlighted that this marks the third consecutive year that the summer workshop is being conducted in Hailakandi under the state’s cultural programme. He added that the current edition spans four prominent institutions across two constituencies.

Nazmul Haque Laskar noted that the district administration held a preparatory meeting to ensure smooth coordination and proper implementation of state-issued guidelines. Shivdurga Club has been assigned the responsibility of executing the workshops across all four venues.

The inauguration at Lakhinagar Model Higher Secondary School witnessed the presence of academic coordinator and assistant teacher Kanwar Lal Chhatri, retired teacher Dipak Kumar Yadav, panchayat member Mahesh Rai, and cultural contributor Champak Ghosh. Trainers Anuran Bhattacharya and Narayan Dev also took part in the proceedings.

At PM Shri Premloc hon Higher Secondary School in Mohanpur, the event was attended by social worker Dr. Milon Das, community activist Kaidul Alam Barbhuiya, SMDC Vice President Rafiquddin Barbhuiya, teacher and Assembly Committee member Ibjal Ahmed Majumder, academic in-charge Abdur Rahman Laskar, and others including Biju Malakar, Sutapa Purkayastha, Aftab Uddin Majumder, Dr. Elanur Hussain Laskar, and Kamal Uddin. Trainer Sanchita Chand also joined the programme.

Meanwhile, PM Shri Jamira Higher Secondary School also commenced its workshop on the same day. Principal Sufian Siddiqui confirmed the start of the programme, which was attended by Assembly Committee member Ramkrishna Chakraborty, trainer Arindam Rakshit, and several local cultural enthusiasts.

The workshops are expected to conclude with cultural performances by students, showcasing the skills and creativity honed during the fortnight-long sessions.

Promotional | Subscribe KRC TIMES e-copy