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| Students of Manipur University with their first prize at the east zone inter-university fest at Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra. Picture by Hardeep Singh |
Ranchi, Nov. 13: Mood was upbeat at BIT Mesra as students from 18 universities across the country exchanged contact numbers and promised to visit the place again. It was the fifth and concluding day of the East Zone youth festival on the Mesra campus of the Birla Institute of Technology today.
Sarita Kumari, a student of bio-informatics, BIT Mesra, said the most thrilling part of the fest was the fashion show and dance competition. “It was like mini India as we watched folk dance performed by different states. We also tried to pick up language of the states during the course of our interaction,” added Amrita Kaur, another student of the same stream.
While Dipankar Kaliti, I-year student of political science of Gauhati University, said the atmosphere on the campus was “cool”. “We bagged the second prize in group dance and third in music and theatre,” he added.
Musician from the same university Shantanu Bode found it quite thrilling to play the guitar. “At night the students of all the universities would get together to listen to the tunes of mainly Kishore Kumar songs that I played,” he added.
The most jubilant were the 39 students of Manipur University, who walked away with the first prize for one act play, skit and mime. BIT Mesra came second.
Cultural coordinator of Manipur University R.K. Somarjit Singh said his students have been taking part in the East Zone Youth festival for many years now. “The students showcased 22 cultural items but bagged the first prize in theatre,” he added.
The fest, organised by the Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi, saw a variety of programmes and prizes given away in mimicry, mime, debate, skits, poster-making, cartooning, instrumental (percussion), light vocal (Indian), folk and tribal dances etc.
Sanatombi, II-year student of English (Honours) of Manipur University, however, rued that she could not go sight seeing being in the city for the first time, due to lack of time.
