Committed to promote art & culture: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy CM Chowna Mein

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said the state government would extend support and help in promoting arts and literature, but also added that the government "needs to ponder on sponsoring events and festivals, considering the fund crunch, and people should also understand the limitation of the state exchequer."

Inaugurating the first-of-its-kind Arunachal Literature & Art Festival (ALAF) - The Prelude, which got underway at Indira Gandhi Park here on Saturday, Mein while stressing on the importance of arts and literaturecsaid, "We need to promote arts and literature and the reading habit," and urged parents to encourage their children to read books.

Tourism Secretary Sadhana Deori in her address informed that the ALAF is aimed at introducing indigenous artists, writers and poets to a larger audience.

"People who participate in the event will take away something fruitful and wonderful from two days of basking in the smell of paint and getting lost between words," she said.

Celebrated author and Sahitya Akademi awardee YD Thongchi in his address encouraged young minds to shoulder the responsibility of preserving arts and literature.