People's Democracy

  Kishore Mahal: Juvenile Forum For Healthy Culture

Haripada Das

KISHORE MAHAL is a new type of organisation encompassing the juvenile children of the state. It originated with a congregation of hundreds of teenaged boys and girls performing an uniquely attractive cultural function in Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan, Agartala, on May 23 afternoon. In an overall atmosphere of treachery, greed, individualism, corruption and moral degeneration, these kids have decided to adopt a healthy culture, acquire high moral values, promote patriotism, develop international fraternity, practise a scientific outlook in their daily lives and fight the superstitions prevalent in their society. The aim is make their future bright and become a good citizen in true sense.

Kishore Mahal is the next step of Shishu Mahal, an organisation for bringing up the kids in the state, and is run by Daily Desher Katha. On the occasion of inception of Kishore Mahal, a juvenile forum that is the first of its kind in the state, the venue (Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan) was colourfully decorated, befitting the children’s colourful thinking.

Addressing the children, Tripura information and cultural affairs minister Anil Sarkar said the organisation was a new incarnation of the poet Sukanta Bhattacharjee’s Kishore Bahini (Juvenile Brigade) of the forties, in Kolkata. This gives one hope amid utter frustration all around. Referring to the present day devaluation of morality, Sarkar said, “Our next generation would not have any unkind, inhuman extremist; it will comprise of only gentle, humanist masses.” Quoting from Tagore, he said a room is enough to live in but a big lawn is needed to develop one’s self. Kishore Mahal is intended to become a socio-cultural lawn for the children to develop and illuminate their own lives in their own way.

Mahadeb Chakrborty, secretary of the Tripura Cultural Coordination Committee, highlighted the need to expand this organisation to the rural areas where many geniuses are being wasted for want of avenues to express themselves.

Sankar Das, chairperson of the Agartala municipal council, explained how a degenerate culture is aggressively intruding into our bedrooms. In view of the all round attempt to denigrate our cultural and moral values, the endeavour of floating such a noble organisation of the children was a timely exercise. It would protect the valuable heritage of our culture and strengthen the cultural movement in the state in future, he hoped. 

In their colourful dresses, a big number of children took possession of Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan for two days and went overwhelmed with joy and laughter --- amusing themselves and their guardians who had come there. They staged plays, performed dances, practised meditation, sang patriotic songs, and joined in Rabindra Sangeet, recitation and drawing. They also conducted a good programme exposing the hollowness of the claims of healing wounds with sanctified water, stones and mantras etc. They ran an awareness programme against superstitions, untouchability, gender discrimination etc. The entire programme was steered and coordinated by the children themselves.      

On May 24, thus, the Kishore Mahal started it work --- heralding a healthy culture of humanism, patriotism, global fraternity, and devotion to science for the coming generation. (INN)