Skip to content Skip to navigation

Open platform reaches Shillong on January 20

By Aiyushman Dutta |

The Open Platform, a mobile forum travelling through all the North east States, reaches Shillong tomorrow. The seminar will be held at the State Central Library by 12 pm.


The Open Platform is a initiative of writer-activists Susan Waten of Nagaland and Aiyushman Dutta of Guwahati. Both writers are travelling to each town and city of the Northeast. The event in Shillong is coordinated along with the help of local writer Eric Nongkynrih.


The Open Platform kick started in Guwahati on December 22, 2011 at the 13th North East Book Fair. Writers and poets, journalists and photographers, students and research scholars participated by reading out their published/unpublished works and by interacting with those who responded to their presentations, says Dutta


The Open platform reached Nagaland on December 30, 2011. Susan says, “Writers and artists from various disciplines gathered for a heart-to-heart interaction at the HAWA Office in Dimapur. Musicians, film makers, published writers, poets, painters and other creative individuals shared their inner most thoughts with the intention of moving towards universal creative realizations.”


Shillong-based writer Eric Nongkynrih informed that the platform in Shillong would try to bring out a long of young writers and poets. He said, “We hope to put students, young people and aspiring writers/poets etc. on the same creative platform with published writers/poets, teachers, academicians and established creative artists. Each participant is expected to do a book or poetry reading, or talk about their works or research materials, and motivate one another to interact and respond to the various creative presentations.”


A number of established creative voices like journalist Patricia Mukhim, RG ‘Bob’ Lyngdoh, Raphael Warjiti, amongst others have agreed to take part in the seminar.


NORTH EAST WRITERS & ARTISTS CONCLAVE, jointly organized by Holiday Abode for Writers & Artists (HAWA), Dimapur and Quaint Essence, Guwahati.




Add new comment

Random Stories

Hybrid rice cultivation in Udalguri district

1 Aug 2009 - 11:23am | editor
View of 10 ha demonstration plot of Hybrid rice ( Sahadri) in Punia Village under Bhakatpara Agriculture Development Circle, Udalguri district on 01-08-09. PHOTO: UB PHOTOS.

Dissidence resurfacing in Cong

12 May 2015 - 3:20pm | AT News
Simmering dissidence seems to have resurfaced in Congress legislative party hardly a year before the assembly polls. This time the entire high voltage drama centres around Speaker Pranab Gogoi....

GS Road case: Amarjyoti, 10 others convicted

8 Dec 2012 - 4:25am | editor
The Kamrup judicial magistrate on Friday convicted Amarjyoti Kalita along with ten others in the infamous GS Road molestation case that rattled the nation in June The court, however, acquitted...

NDFB leader shot at in Udalguri

21 Oct 2009 - 6:36am | editor
NDFB's pro truce faction secretary S Sangjarang was seriously injured when two suspected cadres of the breakaway faction attacked him in Udalguri on Wednesday. According to information, the incident...

Other Contents by Author

First Guwahati International Music Festival mega success

Curtains came down on the 1st Guwahati International Music Festival (GIMF) last week amidst scintillating performances by top artists from various parts of the globe. The two day festival, which was participated by 33 top artistes from different parts of the country as also abroad, had been a resounding success, with a number of musicians, students and music lovers attending the various events. Organized by the Eastern Beats Music Society of Guwahati in collaboration with the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC), Dimapur, the landmark event GIMF 2011 was supported by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), under the Ministry of External Affairs; North Eastern Council (NEC),...

Goa, Nagpur and Raipur to wake up to NE splendour

The fact that Northeast India has a rich and varied cultural heritage is known throughout the world. Very few people, however, manage to experience the rich traditions and culture of the various tribes and communities here. Leave alone other nations, even other parts of our own country are found to be totally ignorant about the people of the region and their culture. In a bid to highlight the rich cultural heritage of Northeast India and to showcase the art forms of this region, the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) organizes the mega event, Octave – Festival of the North East. The Octave Festival, which tours different towns and cities of the country with artistes from...

Joi to the Soul

When Eleuterio Sánchez Rodríguez was convicted and sentenced to death in Spain for a crime he professed to have never committed, it marked the birth of an outlaw who gave the Spanish law enforcement agencies a torrid time. The erroneous conviction of Rodriguez and his subsequent fight for freedom stirred the emotions of many, and the same went on to become the subject of many a creative endeavour, including a hit single by German band Boney M. The song in question was titled El Lute, which took a bit of time to pick up on the charts but which, over time became symbolic of imprisonment, hope and liberation. Thousands of miles away from Europe where the song was conceived and...

Riotous flavours of spring to erupt this March

Northeast India is known for its geological marvels, nature’s splendor and an unparalleled spectrum of ethno-cultural multiplicity. A multitude of tribes and races with myriad ethno-cultural traditions, languages and religious beliefs live here side by side keeping alive their traditions, institutions, languages and religious practices. A fine texture of diverse hues spraypainted on a beautiful landscape makes this melting pot of human races a true ethnological wonder, perhaps the only one of its kind in the whole world. The onset of springtime is undoubtedly the most preferred time to visit Northeast India. For this is the time when the people of the region, belonging to...

Innovative music portal big draw for rock lovers

Rock outfits of the country, especially the Northeast, have long had to grapple with the lack of opportunities – be it a platform to showcase their abilities or a medium through which they can reach out to the populace. Practitioners of the genre would say this is nothing new but given the immense pool of talent here, it is indeed sad that nothing much has changed over the past couple of decades. Despite the dreary scenario, however, the enthusiasm and efforts of a few people still manage to bring a smile to one’s face, proving that when it comes to rock the spirit is all that is required, is all that it matters. Meet Sanjib Kalita – a rock enthusiast who has combined...

Indian immigrant’s debut offering bridges East-West musical divide

For a change, the voice of the Indian diaspora is now being heard, albeit without the expected, ubiquitous sitar and tabla. Mumbai-born and US-based musician Ameet Kamath recently released his debut album, Greasy Rails, in New York, breaking new grounds in bridging the popular divide of the music of the East and the West. Talking about his debut offering, Ameet says, “Greasy Rails is about coming to terms with what matters in life. It’s about refusing to take anything less than what you’ve been seeking.” He adds, “In it, I’m telling stories so that the listeners can understand life as I do – constantly negotiating spaces as an immigrant in...

Northeast had less of phoren and more of desi in 2010

For a region known for its fascination with rock, 2010 was a bit of a dampener in the Northeast because of the absence of performances of international bands worth reckoning; a major reason being the lack of viable venues and the closing down of some of the previous ones. But despite it all, the music calendar of the region was packed to the brim this year, marked by the emergence of a lot of new local talents thanks to the fast emerging pub rock scene. Another interesting development that could be witnessed here was the re-emergence of folk or experimental music as a preferred choice of music fans here. Talking about experimental music, the ICCR-sponsored performance of Mexican singer...

Livewire finally reaches NE

The East Zone eliminations for Livewire Mood Indigo, the annual rock fest of IIT Bombay, will be held at Gangtok on November 30 next. A number of bands from the Northeast have applied for registration in the regional auditions, says head coordinator Yogesh Kumbhejkar. Interested bands from the Northeast can apply for the competition by sending their band profile and demos to livewire@moodi.org or call at +91-9619436493 or +91-9860663515. The highlight of this year’s Livewire is the headlining performance by Swedish Metal Giants KATATONIA and legendary Indian rock band INDUS CREED. While Katatonia is likely to be a huge draw for the metal lovers, Indus Creed, for the uninitiated...

Zealous tribute to Cliff Burton

Mumbai-based thrash metal band Zealous recently released the live DVD of their tribute to legendary bass guitarist Cliff Burton. The DVD, which was released earlier this month on October 3, is being promoted all over the country, much to the delight of enthusiastic takers. The DVD was recorded in Akash Studio and it was mixed, mastered and engineered by Akash Sawant. THE DVD was shot at a Cliif Burton tribute gig performed by the band in Mumbai in the last week of September. Released at a function aired live by B-69 Bajao, the tribute to Cliff Burton DVD has been directed and produced by Vicky, frontman of the band Zealous. Cliff Burton is a name which is much revered in the music...

Saharia honoured in World Congress of Chinese Elite

Indo-Chinese relations received a shot in the arm when the 2010 World Congress of the Chinese Elite held at Xian on October 9 presented a special award to an Indian for “International Friendship and Emissary”. The Overseas Chinese elite 2010, which was participated by a formidable and influential 600 member-strong Chinese community diaspora from different parts of the world, saw the award being presented to Indian Chamber of Commerce chairperson Mahesh Saharia, who is also the Founder Chairman of the Center for Promotion of India China Cooperation. The presentation of the award has brought good cheers to the people of Assam. This is more so because Mahesh Saharia, who is a...