“Politics divide people, but culture unites,” said Dr M Nara Singh, leader of the 40 member cultural troupe from Manipur visiting Dakshina Kannada. Speaking to media persons here on Thursday, Dr Singh, a former MLA, minister and the secretary of UPA in Manipur, urged the people of south not to stop visiting the North-Eastern states for fear of terrorism. “Terrorism is omnipresent in India, then why alienate only the North East,” he asked.

Dr Singh’s troupe, consisting of the best artistes had their first performance in Alva’s Virasat on Thursday night. On Friday, they will visit the Mala village near Kudremukh, interact with the villagers, and perform there. The third performance of the troupe will be in MRPL on the next day.

Sudhir Ghate of Magnum Intergrafiks who is the organiser said that though North East is 10 to 15 years behind the rest of India in all kinds of development, they are very much forward in culture. By visiting Mala, they will have a glimpse of the typical village life of these parts and by visiting MRPL, they will come to know how a mega industry works, he added. 

The troupe will present art forms like Lai Haroba Dance, Pung Cholom, Tribal folk dances, Rash Leela and martial arts, Dr Singh added.