Shillong (Meghalaya), May 1 : Governor of Meghalaya Phagu Chauhan today extended his greetings to Gujaratis and Marathis on Statehood Day of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Taking forward the government’s thrust on celebrating the country’s cultural diversity and multi-faceted traditions, the two States’ Statehood Day was celebrated today at Raj Bhavan, here .
In pursuance of the spirit of Ek Bharat and Shresth Bharat that celebrates India’s ‘unity in diversity’, Raj Bhawans (Governor’s House) across the country commemorated the Foundation Day of Gujarat and Maharashtra with great fervour showcasing the rich and vibrant culture of the two states. The Central Government has decided that all the states will celebrate not only their own statehood day, but also the statehood days of other states in order to promote ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
The Governor of Meghalaya Shri Phagu Chauhan inaugurated the Cultural Evening – Sanskritik Sandhya organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Shillong commemorating the Statehood Day and greeted the Gujarati and Marathi communities on their State Foundation Day and conveyed his good wishes to each and every member. Short videos were screened at the programme that showcased the rich culture of the two states.
To foster and strengthen camaraderie amongst the people from different parts of the country, serving in Meghalaya, the Governor House invited people to celebrate together the Statehood days of these two western states.
The Sanskritik Sandhya mesmerized the audience with song and poetry recitations by Dr Sunil Yogi, Smt Silvi Passah, Mohd. Khalid Khan, M P Pandey among other eminent artists.
People from Gujarati and Marathi communities, including government officials, businessmen, people working in public sector units and members of the armed forces along with their families were invited to witness the Cultural Evening.
Eminent artists mesmerized the packed auditorium with their unique, extremely easy and innocent style. The evening was a beautiful amalgamation of poetry and satire — some satire in poetry form and some in prose. The auditorium reverberated with applause for the poetry, humour and satire of Padmashree awardee Dr Sunil Jogi.
Maharashtra and Gujarat were parts of the State of Bombay Province. On 1st May 1960, the States of Maharashtra and Gujarat were formed as independent States.
