Oct. 31: For litterateur Anupam Kumar, recitation is as much a performing art as dance, music or even theatre. And making the literary circles and the public view the art of recitation for what it is — an art — has been a dream for this prolific writer.

Tomorrow, the poet’s dream will take wing at the Bokul Tolor Godhuli Mancha, a platform for aspiring artistes at the Rabindra Bhawan.

Besides the ubiquitous music and dance performances, a special poetry recitation programme has been arranged by the directorate of cultural affairs, Assam, as part of its 35th foundation day celebrations.

Kumar’s suggestion of making recitation a part of the day’s programme met with overwhelming response from his colleagues at the directorate, where he works as officer-in-charge of the department.

“The department is always trying out new things. In fact, the platform for young artistes is also new. It was launched by the department at Rabindra Bhawan only recently. So when I said poetry had to be popularised among the masses, everyone agreed to it. The result will be the grand recitation session tomorrow,” said Kumar, who was conferred the Best Non-Hindi Writer Award in 2002 for his work Main Beechata Hoon Dard, a collection of Hindi poems.

“The directorate has always encouraged and promoted new artistes to practise and perform varied art forms. Now we are trying to popularise recitation as another form of performing arts just like music and dance performances,” an official of the department said.

The programme will feature 20 promising singers and dancers, but the highlight will be on the velvet voices reciting some of the most popular Assamese poems of the yesteryears.

For this show, the department will be looking into the logistics — comprising a makeshift stage, lights and acoustics. Usually, this aspect of the performances here is managed by the artistes themselves.

Music director Dimeshwar Das, who is also the deputy director of cultural affairs, has, along with Jayanta Das, designed the day’s programme, including the music accompanying the recitation session.

The Bokul Tolor Godhuli Mancha hosted two cultural programmes at its open-air theatre recently, one on Kaati Bihu and another on music, performed by the State Music College.

“It is heartening to learn that the state is extending a helping hand to popularise poetry. This will go a long way in encouraging aspiring poets,” said Shiva Prasad Bora, who has penned poems himself.

“Besides shows like these, new poets need backing from the government as well as various voluntary organisations to help them publish their work.”

Kumar has written soul-stirring poems in both his mother tongue, Assamese, and Hindi, many of which have won him coveted awards.

In 2004, Kumar won a scholarship awarded by the human resource development department for a period of two years.

The gifted writer, who has penned 13 books, has four highly acclaimed collections of poems to his credit.

He has proved himself in the field of translation too, interpreting popular Hindi plays, including Girish Karnad’s Aagni Varsa and Ajai Shukla’s Tajmahal Ka Tender, in Assamese.