Art has no language, no race, no religion. Just as during the recent disaster we faced, everyone helped without regard to race or religion, placing humanity foremost, arts similarly serve as a bridge that unites people, stated Hon. Governor of Northern Province N. Vethanayahan.
The Cultural Grand Festival and Traditional Exhibition, organized by the Cultural Affairs Unit of the Northern Province Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs, Sports, and Youth Affairs, was held grandly today – on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, at the Golden Jubilee Hall of Mullaitivu Puthukkudiyiruppu Central College. The Governor made these remarks while delivering the address as the chief guest at the event.
In the event that proclaimed the multiculturalism of the Northern Province, traditional Tamil sword dance and Karakattam, the Islamic ‘Haseetha’ art form performed by students of Erukkalampiddy Ladies’ Maha Vidyalaya, and the Sinhala ‘Kandyan dance’ by the Vavuniya South Thusyantha Academy were all performed on the same stage, leaving the audience spellbound. Speaking about this, the Governor pointed out that this scene is a symbol of humanity transcending differences.
The Governor further stated that today’s children do not even have time to “breathe.” From dawn until night, they are constantly running with heavy book bags and tuition classes. They have neither time nor space for hobbies. In the remaining time, their world shrinks into the small screen of mobile phones. Just as many countries have imposed bans on children’s mobile phone usage, such restrictions will become necessary in our country in the future.
Furthermore, “Our children are lost in the fascination with South Indian films and television serials. We need to rescue them from that and turn them towards the traditional arts.
Success is not having the same faces on stage every year. We must adopt new strategies to make the ‘2K kids’, the internet generation, understand that our country’s koothu and karagattam are more interesting than South Indian cinema. Young people should not be left as mere spectators; they must be transformed into participants.”
Taking into account the difficulties of holding such events during the rainy season, the Governor instructed officials to take steps to complete the Provincial Cultural Grand Festival by August in the coming years, and to plan regional and district-level festivals accordingly.
Following the traditional welcome of guests, the guests inaugurated the exhibition hall featuring old artifacts, artists’ paintings, and books.
At the event, Hon. Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources R. Chandrasekar, and Hon. Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Upali Samarasinghe participated as chief guests alongside the Governor. Additionally, Chief Secretary of the Northern Province Mrs. Thanuja Murugeson as special guest, Mullaitivu District Secretary A. Umamaheswaran as guest of honour, along with a large number of artists, students, and the general public, graced the occasion with their presence.
