(a) the steps taken by the Ministry to promote and bring Nagaland and other North Eastern
States in the cultural field and mainstream through Dance Festivals; and
(b) the details of the Foreign Dance Troupes that visited and participated in the Annual
Dance Festival of the States in December each year during the last three years and the current
year, particularly of the Nagaland State?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY)
(a) Government has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) across the country
including the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) at Dimapur and the Eastern Zonal
Cultural Centre (EZCC) at Kolkata with the objective to preserve, promote and disseminate the
folk/traditional arts of the different Zones. These Centres endeavour to develop and promote
the rich diversity and uniqueness of various arts of the states within their Zone and have been
carrying out various activities like organization of dance festivals in accordance with their
aims and objectives, both within and outside their zones. While NEZCC caters to all States of
the North East, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Sikkim and Tripura, EZCC also caters to the States of Assam, Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura.
NEZCC during 2009-10, has organized 42 festivals/programmes on its own, in the North East to
promote arts & crafts of the North East. It has organized 31 more programmes in Nagaland and
other states of the North East in collaboration with other cultural organizations. The NEZCC,
in the year 2009-10, sponsored cultural troupes from North Eastern States to participate in
34 programmes held in the North East region and other parts of the country.
In the year 2006, Ministry of Culture initiated a special programme called ‘Octave-the festival of North East’ with a view to project the rich culture of North Eastern
States in different parts of the country. During 2009-10, ‘OCTAVE’ was organized at Surat,
Amritsar, Lucknow, Surajkund and Kolkata.
In the year 2008, Sangeet Natak Akademi has set up a North East Centre at Shillong for
the purpose of preservation of performing art traditions of the entire North East. Sattriya
Kendra, the Centre for Sattriya dance, music and theatre traditions was set up in Guwahati in
the same year. The Sangeet Natak Akademi and all the ZCCs regularly present individual(s)/
groups of artistes from North East States in music and dance festivals organized by them in
various parts of the country, and abroad.
(b) The ‘Hornbill Festival’ is organized by Government of Nagaland to which foreign
troupes are also invited by the Government of Nagaland. Details of the foreign troupes that
participated in the festival during the last three years are:
(i) 2007 – NIL
(ii) 2008 – No foreign participants for Dance, only Korean musicians participated and
gave music performances.
(iii) 2009 – The following troupes from abroad performed
(1) Myanmarese Cultural Troupe consisting of 15 members;
(2) Thai Cultural Troupe consisting of 26 members;
(3) Korean Cultural Group consisting of 12 members.
(iv) 2010- NIL so far.