Skip to content Skip to navigation

Karbi Anglong all set to host state’s first national rock competition

By editor |


The people of Karbi Anglong are all geared up for this year’s edition of the Rongtheang festival that begins from November 2. The festival will continue for three days to culminate on November 4 and will also see the first national rock competition of Assam being organized there.


This time around, the 8th traditional Rongtheang festival 2010 is being organized by the Eastern Beats Music Society and the Rongtheang Klimsomar Club with the support of ICCR, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and State Bank of India (SBI).


The Rongtheang Festival is a traditional festival of the people of Karbi Anglong which is into its eighth year now. Celebrated over a three-day period in Rongtheang village of Karbi Anglong every year, the festival has within a very short time become a much loved and popular festival of the people of Rongtheang, Diphu and adjoining areas. The festival was started in 2001.


Originally conceived as a festival to foster the spirit of bonding and brotherhood amongst the people of the district and to provide a platform for the young talents of the new generation, the Rongtheang fest has been helping channelize the frustrations and unspent energy of the youth in a positive direction. By introducing the people with the immense power and healing force of music and other art forms, the festival has been playing a major role in guiding the youth towards inculcating a healthy and positive lifestyle.


In recent years, the festival’s influence and popularity has spilled over from Karbi Anglong to embrace a much wider spectrum with more and more artistes, musicians and youngsters from the rest of the North-east taking a keen interest in the festival. The festival now has a regular stream of visitors from places like NC Hills, Jorhat, Guwahati, Nagaland and other areas who come here to get acquainted with the rich culture and traditions of the Karbis and the other communities residing there.


Eastern Beats Music Society secretary Aiyushman Dutta said, “At a time when gaps in the social fabric of Assam are becoming more and more evident with each passing day, Rongtheang fest can be the perfect village festival for villages and towns in other parts of the State to emulate. The Rongtheang festival witnesses the participation of more than 12 different tribes and communities and the same acts as a perfect platform for building the spirit of brotherhood and bonhomie.”


Some of the major tribes and communities in Rongtheang are the Karbis, Dimasas, Rongmei Nagas, Biates, Hmars, Mizos, Vaipheis, Bodos, caste Hindu Assamese, amogst others.


Following are the main objectives behind organizing Rongtheang fest.


• To promote inter-cultural and inter-faith harmony among the people of different communities and faiths residing in the district.


• To promote the unique cultural traditions, heritage and rituals of the people.


• To develop a sense of respect and appreciation amongst the people, especially the younger generation, towards their culture and roots.


• To wean away the youth from the negative influence of violence, insurgency, and apathy.


• To promote a culture of peace and positivism in the district, thereby opening up avenues of tourism and entrepreneurship in the district.


• To raise awareness against the menace of substance abuse and other social evils.


2nd KARBI ANGLONG BEATS CONTEST 2010


The Karbi Anglong Beats Contest (KABC) was started in the 7th Rongtheang fest 2009. This contest for village bands of Karbi Anglong – the first such contest in this part of the world – was a resounding success and proved the immense musical talent in the villages of Karbi Anglong. It also proved the healing power of music. The contest was held as a tribute to the victims of the October 30 serial bomb blasts.


In order to make the youth take a more active participation, the 2nd Karbi Anglong Beats Contest will be held on a national level this year. This is the first national rock competition of Assam. The winner of the beats contest will get a prize money of Rs. 50,000, a recording deal and the best guitarist will get an electric guitar. KABC is being supported by Mc Dowells No. 1 soda, State Bank of India, Rolling Stone, The Northeast Today, Sound Box and ICCR.


Around 80 bands from all over the country had sent in their entries for the contest. A jury formed by the Eastern Beats Music Society selected nine bands out of the same. Moreover, one band was selected to represent Karbi Anglong in a beats contest organized in Diphu for this purpose on October 2, 2010. The selected bands are:


1. Dream Diabolic (Sikkim)


2. Circles End (Darjeeling)


3. Dementia (Nagaland)


4. Melodrama (Nagaland)


5. Maestro (Haflong)


6. Cleave (Manipur)


7. Horjwlai (Tripura)


8. Dissected Soul (Darjeeling)


9. Filharmonix (Jorhat)


10. Ball of Fire (Karbi Anglong host band)


Dutta said, “Many people ask us as to why we organized the festival in an interior place of Karbi Anglong. But we continued with our quest because we felt it is time we shifted the attention of the people from insurgency and negativities to the rich culture and other positive issues.”


BY Karthik Kashyap




  • 13142 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

50 injured as train derails in Jagiroad

Dozens of people sustained injury when a passenger train jumped off the tracks in Jagiroad on Wednesday. The incident took place in the wee hours when ten coaches of the Dimapur-Kamakhya passenger train toppled from the rails leaving 50 injured. Of them, ten passengers have been critically wounded who are battling for life at GMCH. Details awaited.

Former minister dies

Dinesh Prasad Goala is dead. The former minister and sitting MLA died at a hospital in Kolkata where he was admitted on April 10 following heart ailment. Details are awaited.

Call for entry: Achievers Award 2014

Eastern Panorama the news magazine of North East invites nominations for Achievers Award 2014 in different categories including Business, Industry, Banking, Music, Social Service, NGO, Education, Activist, Photography, North East Brand, Adventure, Rural Entrepreneurs, Fashion, Culture and North East Connectivity.The last date of submission of nominations is 10th of March 2014. Sent your details through email at contact@easternpanorama.in or by post to Eastern Panorama 2nd Floor, RPG Complex, Keating Road, Shillong - 793001 Meghalaya

Citizen Journalist's Year 2014

 Be a Citizen Journalist!Report your local news and events.For details visit: http://assamtimes.org/node/8Email: editor@assamtimes.org 

Resources

PRESS COUNCIL - Sub-Committee Report: “Paid News”: How corruption in the Indian media undermines democracylnformation Technology (Electronic Service Delivery) Rules, 2011AFSPA - Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958Assam Accord 1985Treaty of YandaboAssam Preventive Detention Act, 1980Nagaland: Communitisation of Public Institutions and Services Act, 2001The State of Nagaland Act, 1962The Disaster Management Act, 2005Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 Acts of the Environment & Forest Department, Govt of Assam:The Assam Sale of Forest Produce Coupes and Mahals rules, 1977The Assam Forest Protection Force Act, 1986The Assam Forest Regulation,...

Bilateral relationship with Thailand for Agri-Horti promotion

A five member team of officials of state agriculture department of Assam headed by Timothy Das Hanse, Director of Horticulture and Food Processing , Assam had visited Thailand recently (!-6 February, 2013) for initiating a bilateral relationship with Thailand Government for promotion of Agri-Horti Sector of Assam. This programme could be envisaged to bear special significance in view of opening of East-West Corridor that will link this part of the country with south-east Asia to fetch new scope and opportunities for expansion of agri-horti market and cold chain development near future. During the visit, the team attended the Flower Festival at Chiangmai and met the Director of...

Late Ramesh Chandra Saharia: A tribute

I was in Class V at the Scindia School, Gwalior, it was a usual routine in School getting up at 6.30 am and to get ready for a half an hour prep followed by breakfast and then school. It was morning of 8 February 1982 after my bath I did a regular prayer, when suddenly a small framed photo of Goddess Kamakhya Ma that I had kept in my cupboard fell, at that time I though why this photo fell when no one had touched the cupboard. We had developed the habit of praying in the morning and evening at our home at Tangla (now under Udalguri distrct) as was being done by elders in our joint family. Later, I went to school as usual and came back at about 12.15 pm for lunch at the School mess, I could...

NHPC plant under threat: 3 held

Security forces seized a huge cache of plastic explosives from three youths who were on their way to target a power station in Dhemaji district on Saturday.According to police, the three youths, sped away on their motorcycles, when signalled to stop during a routine check near the Panbari border outpost under Gerukamukh police station.They were caught and arrested following a chase after three packets of plastic explosives, five packets of fuse wire, six fuses and daggers were found in their possession.Identified as Pranendra Wari, Nakesh Narzari and Hemkanta Narzari, they were targeting the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation at the Gerukamukh dam site.

EMFA press meet on Jan 25

The Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has organized a press meet on January 25 to brief the reporters about the 3rd EMFA Media Awards 2012 scheduled for next month. The press meet, which will be addressed by EMFA office bearers, will begin on 2 pm. Considering the business of television personalities due to the constant coverage of Panchayat polls preparations in the State, the EMFA may decide to extend the deadline for entries of 3rd EMFA Media Awards for few more days.

50 injured in ASTC bus mishap

Over 50 people have been injured when an ATSC bus overturned in the outskirt if Guwahati on Friday. The accident took place when the Assam State Transport Corporation owned bus on its way to Guwahati from Barpeta, was trying to overtake a truck when it overturned and rolled down the road to a nearby field in Nayanpur area.The condition of five injured was stated to be critical. They were admitted to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, while the others are being treated at the Hajo Primary Health Care centre.