The Minister of Culture Smt. Chandresh Kumari Katoch has said that the Ministry of Culture through various Schemes and through its attached, subordinate and autonomous Organizations is making efforts, inter-alia, to preserve the traditional art forms throughout the country, including the North-Eastern States.
The steps taken in this direction particularly for Assam are as follows:
(i) Ministry of Culture releases financial assistance / grants to Organisations, Societies, Trusts, Universities and individuals throughout the country including those in Assam under its Schemes “Central Functions Grants Scheme” and “Financial Assistance to Professional Groups and Individuals engaged for specified Performing Arts Projects”.
Further, in order to promote the unique cultural heritage of North-East Region and to promote the overall cultural development of the region, 10% of the total allocation of Annual Plan of the Ministry is earmarked for the development of art and culture in the North-East Region.
(ii) Seven Zonal Cultural Centres have been set up, the objective of which is preservation, promotion and dissemination of the traditional folk arts and culture of various States / UTs including tribal areas.
(iii) Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) is engaged in the collection, documentation, preservation, display and revitalization of various facets of culture of India. It has collected 4150 specimens from different States of North -Eastern India out of which 726 are from Assam. It has incorporated around 20 exhibits of traditional house types of various communities of North-Eastern States including Rabha, Deori, Hajong, Bodo, Kachari and Mishing Moran communities of Assam.
(iv) Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) is taking steps to preserve the traditional art forms of North-East part of the country by organizing camps, seminars, art work, art festival, film shows etc. The following programmes have been/ are being organized during the year 2012-13 in North-East States including Assam:-
1. Interactive workshop with North East Artists, Gangtok (Sikkim)
2. 54th National Exhibition of Art- Agartala (Tripura)
3. Artist in Residence & Regional Interactive Wood – carving Camp, Kohima (Nagaland)
4. Art Appreciation Course & Regional Wood – carving Camp, Agartala (Tripura)
5. Talking through Frames : Cinema & Painting, Agartala (Tripura)
6. Regional Installation Camp & Art Appreciation course, Silchar (Assam)
7. Regional Painting Camp, Guwahati (Assam)
8. National Art Festival, Gangtok (Sikkim)
(v) Sahitya Akademi gives away awards in all the languages recognized by it including North-Eastern languages like Assamese, Bodo, Manipuri and Nepali. It is also holding a programme called “Loka: The Many Voices”, a programme consisting of lectures and demonstrations. This programme was conceived to protect and preserve the folk and tribal art and culture.
(vi) Sangeet Natak Akademi, under its Plan Scheme of “Establishment of National Centres for Specialized Training’’, has set up three national projects focusing on Satriya Dance and Allied Traditions of Assam.