New Delhi: The ninth edition of the North East Students' Festival (NESt Fest) will be held here on September 4 and 5, showcasing the region's diverse culture, student talent, music, handicrafts, cuisine and youth voices.
Organised by NGO My Home India, the free-for-all festival at Talkatora Indoor Stadium is themed "The Sound of India's Yuva Shakti".
The festival will open on September 4 with an inaugural ceremony, a cultural parade representing the Northeast, inauguration of a government pavilion, folk music and dance performances, and an exhibition of Janajatiya handicrafts and cuisine.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and Odisha Governor K Hari Babu are among those expected at the inaugural ceremony.
"My Home India was built on one idea -- that the distance between Delhi and the North East should never be a distance of understanding. Twenty one years on, this festival is where that idea comes alive every year.
"When leadership from different regions shares the same stage for our students, that is the India we set out to build," said Sunil Deodhar, founder of My Home India and senior BJP leader.
The second day of the festival will feature a "Vande Mataram"-themed inter-college cultural competition, a regional attire fashion show, a youth pledge ceremony and the valedictory session.
Artists scheduled to perform include Sourabhee Debbarma, Dikshu Sarma, Danube Kangjam, Lunia Tadu, Aj Maisnam, Moko Koza, Chorun Mugli, Siampuii Ralte and Lily Sawian.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Mizoram Governor V K Singh are scheduled to participate on the second day. Other invited guests include Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Sambhaji Shinde.
The festival will also host an Assam flood relief help desk to facilitate assistance to people affected by the recent floods and coordinate support initiatives.
This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.