Cultural programmes held as precursor to AIKS national meet

Praja Natya Mandali troupes regale audience

GUNTUR: Revolutionary songs and skits by Praja Natya Mandali troupes from all over the country sent out messages of agrarian struggle through their songs and dance at the A.C. College here on Tuesday.

The cultural programme began as a precursor to the All India Kisan Saha national symposium beginning here on Thursday. Singers from Hyderabad, Medak, Sangareddy, Nalgonda, Guntur and Khammam participated in the day’s events, which started off with an energetic song on agricultural crisis in Andhra Pradesh, which was initially hit by drought conditions and later by excess rains and floods.

Performers concentrated on the continued sway of the private investors on tenant farmers, as institutional finance was not available to this class of people. Some of the prominent singers included Rajesh, Narsimha, Venkata Reddy and Ananad, who were directed by event coordinator P.V. Ramana, who himself dished out a couple of songs. In the morning a Prabhata Bheri was taken out with drummers and artistes going out on the streets to announce the programmes.

The team from Maharashtra also performed at which Rupa, a Praja Natya Mandali artiste performed on the stage with an AIKS flag.

Entire city was painted red with AIKS flags and banners tied all along the main streets and near the venue.

The main venue for discussions Venkateswara Vignana Mandiram has been readied and renamed Harkishna Singh Surjeet Nagar.

Exhibition

On Wednesday an exhibition of cattle and agricultural produce from the region would be on display at the Wolf Hall Grounds and the main attraction would be art works and photographs of some of the historical agrarian movements in the country with their history.

National symposium organising secretary P. Narasimha Rao said cultural delegates from Maharashtra and West Bengal had arrived and some others wishing to participate in the discussions had arrived in advance in view of the strife in the State. All arrangements had been made for the delegates coming from other states and other cities in Andhra Pradesh.

Courtesy : The Hindu)