Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) Noklak celebrated Cultural Day with the theme ‘Cultures and Values’ on 17 September at the hostel premises.
SP Noklak, Dr Pritpal Kaur, IPS was the Special Guest of the event.
In her speech, Dr Kaur said culture is the root of every society and stressed on the importance of preserving and valuing one’s culture. Speaking on the necessity of documenting oral traditions and customs, she stated this is one way of preserving culture. She further said one must respect the diversity of religion, language, culture and tradition in society equally.
Dr Pritpal Kaur speaking during the Cultural Day programme.
The SP further advised the young girls in attendance to give focus on their future careers and to stay away from distractions.
K Newkai, the President of Khiamniungan Meniu Hoikam (KMH), spoke on the significance of tattoos in a speech titled ‘Tattoo: The Mark of Womanhood’. Bringing out the history of the traditional practices of tattooing, she said the first thing that occupies a woman’s mind when she matures is to complete the mark of tattooing.
Newkai narrated how the practice is passed down from elderly women to younger women. She also pointed out how tattooed women were favourable and defined beauty in the old days. While describing the colour significance of the clothes and tattoos of the Khiamniungan tribe, Newkai said taking joy in living with marks of beauty and valour was a woman’s best choice.
During the programme, the girls from KGBV performed folk fusion dances, folk tale dramas and a bamboo dance.
KGBV girls performing a dance on Cultural Day.
KGBV Noklak
KGBV Noklak was established on 4 April 2022. It is a residential home for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. The hostel has become a home to girls from rural areas who have no provisions to stay in Noklak Town.
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) is a scheme run by the Government of India to provide educational facilities for underprivileged girls. It was launched in 2004.
Under the guidance of two wardens, there are 130 girls from classes 5-12 living in KGBV Noklak. The girls are provided fee tuitions and study in various government schools in town.
KGBV Noklak.
At least once a month, different activating and training sessions are conducted for the girls. Recent activities include a vocational training session on weaving and knitting, and the cultural event on Saturday. The girls also have upcoming events like Literary Day and Sports to look forward to.
These programmes are being taken up with the motive to prepare the students for their future where they can make use of the skills as a source of income in sustaining their livelihood. Apart from instilling academic knowledge and providing various skill training courses under government schemes, KGBV Noklak also provides free Taekwondo classes by well-trained coaches to interested hostel girls. With the coaching fees taken care of by the management team, the girls attend classes four days a week.
