Vice President urges educational institutions to give equal importance to art subjects

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu urged educational institutions to treat art subjects with equal importance.

As part of efforts to preserve and promote India's rich cultural legacy, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu urged parents and schools to encourage children to learn any art form that they choose. He further emphasised the need to return to roots while he called for a cultural revival in Indian society. The vice president’s remarks came as he presented honours to various artists for their contribution to the field of performing arts and fine arts during the distribution of Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowships and Akademi Awards for 2018.

The vice president went on to say India’s rich traditional folk art forms, such as puppetry, are dying because of the craze for western culture.

The vice president further noted that exposing children to art and creativity at a young age will help them lead a more meaningful life and called on educational institutions to treat art subjects with equal importance in their curriculum.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, speaking about the 'Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav' celebrations, stated that many unsung heroes sacrificed for our independence, but their tales are mainly unknown to the general public since they were not given due emphasis in our history books.

He then urged for rectifying these inaccuracies and highlighted the efforts of these lesser-known heroes to the independence movement.

Recalling the role played by visual and performing arts in stirring patriotic feelings in the independence movement, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu went on to state that art was utilised as a ‘powerful political weapon’ to narrate stories of British oppression.

He further emphasised, “The contribution of our freedom fighters through powerful artistic expression is integral to our freedom struggle and must not be forgotten.”