Page 40 - NIS English 16-31 February,2023

Nation Padma Awards
GHULAM MOHAMMAD ZAZ:
MANGALA KANTI RAI: 8TH GENERATION OF SANTOOR

SARTAJ OF SARINDA CRAFTSMAN

Santoor craftsman from
102-year-old Sarinda Jammu and Kashmir,
maestro Mangala Kanti Ghulam Mohammad
Rai of West Bengal will Zaz, is the eighth
be given the Padma generation of his family
Shri. Mangala Kanti of craftsmen of stringed
Rai has been playing instruments including
the Sarinda musical santoor. His family
instrument which is known for making
looks like a violin since santoor for 200 years.
childhood. Apart from Zaz, who has been involved in making musical
preserving Sarinda through workshops for instruments for almost 7 decades, says that
the last eight decades, he has performed in as long he is alive, he will continue to make
many places across the country including musical instruments. Ghulam Mohammad
Delhi, Guwahati, Darjeeling. Mangala Kanti Zaz, who is recognized as the last artisan of
Rai is famous for extracting the unique santoor from Kashmir, says that this art is
sounds of various types of birds from this dying but I hope someone will take it forward
Sarinda Yantra. Rai is also known as the and not let it die. The central government has
oldest living folk musician in West Bengal. described him as the 'Sartaj' of santoor in the
award.

AJAY KUMAR MANDAVI: PARSHURAM KOMAJI KHUNE:

INSPIRATION TO LEAVE THE GUN SHOWS THE YOUTH THE RIGHT PATH BY
AND PICK UP THE CHISEL CONNECTING THEM WITH FOLK DANCE

Maharashtra's Gadchiroli
Ajay Mandavi, a district is in limelight these
resident of Govindpur days because of Parshuram
village in the Kanker Komaji Khune, the recipient of
district of Chhattisgarh, the Padma awards. Jharipatti
is proficient in Rangbhoomi artist Parshuram
wood carving. He has been announced to be
will be awarded given the Padma Shri award
the Padma Shri for for his work in the field of theatre. Along with
2023 for inspiring giving more than 5000 stage performances, he
Naxal-affected and has played more than 800 roles. Jharipatti folk
misguided youths to leave guns and pick up theater is staged during the harvest season
chisels by connecting them with Gond tribal of Dham in Maharashtra against social evils.
art. Kaker has transformed the lives of over Similarly, by connecting the misguided youth of
350 youths who had lost their purpose in Naxal-affected areas with folk dance, he brought
life and picked up a gun, by imparting wood them into the mainstream and rehabilitated them.
carving art training in jail and elsewhere. To remove social evils, folk theater is used in
this area.

38 New India Samachar February 16-28, 2023