Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh Government's prestigious annual cultural event, ‘Lokrang’, will not be held this year in view of the growing threat of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
This is for the first time since 1986, that the event, organised to mark the Republic Day, will not be held. Janjatiya Lok Kala Evam Boli Vikas Akademi has been organising the five-day grand annual festival. This would have been the 37th year of the event.
The event drew huge crowds. Besides cultural performances, it also included a fair, in which hundreds of artisans from all over the country used to showcase their handloom and handicraft products under ‘Shilp Mela’. Also, traditional and tribal food items from across the country India were on offer under the ‘Vyanjan Mela’.
The event was organised last year, despite the Covid pandemic. However this year, it has been decided to cancel it all together.
Tribal Museum curator Ashok Mishra told Free Press that they had decided to organise Lokrang on the theme of the nomadic tribes of Madhya Pradesh this year. It was to be focused on the lifestyle, food, art, culture and mythology of nomadic tribes of the state. The preparations for the fest were in full swing. And then, the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
Following the guidelines issued after the meeting of the Crisis Management Committee of the state government recently, the department decided to cancel the event, he said.
Mishra said according to guidelines, not more than 250 persons are allowed in any event. “Hamare to kalakar hi 400 hote hai... So, it is not possible to organise such a grand event while adhering to the guidelines,” he said.
Director Culture, Aditi Kumar Tripathi said “We can’t organise the event on a grand scale due to Covid-19 restrictions. But to maintain the continuity of the festival, we have proposed to organise a few cultural performances in the new Ravindra Bhawan to be inaugurated on January 26.”
