The lawns of the Press Club of India were filled on Saturday with the evocative fragrance of ‘mitti’ and the melodious strains of music. Organised jointly by Our Mitti Foundation and the Press Club of India, the ‘Mitti Ke Dharohar’ programme saw classical singer Dr Amrita Dutta, ghazal singer Kirti Singh, and special child artist Mansi Papne mesmerise the audience with their soulful performances.
A special highlight of the event was the launch of nine books brought by the delegation from Tajikistan. The creations of artists and writers from Tajikistan, when connected with Indian mitti, appeared to build a new cultural bridge.
The chief guest of the programme, Nitya Pathak, Executive Convener of Sulabh International, was deeply moved after watching the performance of the special child Mansi Papnai. She remarked, “Music is truly magical. It brings out extraordinary talent even in special children. This effort of the Mitti Foundation is highly commendable.”
Through her captivating performances, Dr Amrita Dutta ruled the hearts of the listeners with her velvety and melodious voice. Kirti Singh electrified the atmosphere with her ghazals, while Mansi Papnai moved everyone to tears with her innocent and heartfelt singing.
Renowned Bhojpuri language writer Santosh Patel connected the audience to their roots through his poetry recitation. In addition, several other artistes including classical dancer Roshmi Majumdar and Madhumita Karnatak presented their performances.
Chairman of Our Mitti Foundation, Pramod Kumar Suman, said, “We are trying to connect those people who have been cut off from their roots but still carry in their hearts the longing for their culture, language, dialect and cuisine.
“The Mitti Foundation is a platform for such people where they can refresh their memories. At the same time, we are making efforts to provide a stage to special children and nurture their hidden talents. Mansi’s performance has proved how significantly music can bring about a big change in the lives of these children,” he added.
Vice President Sangeeta Bhagat briefed the gathering about the organisation’s various programmes, while President Chandan Kumar said that the Foundation’s aim is to promote those talents who are left behind due to lack of basic facilities.
The special contributions of General Secretary Ravi Verma, Lokesh Maheshwari (Entrepreneurship Department), Supriya Satyam, Raja Tarun, Manish Sinha, Manish Singh, Anamika Agarwal, Tanvi Priya, Pragya Raj, Utkarsh Raj, Suryansh and Tanmay Priyadarshi played a key role in making the programme a success.
Darshani Priya and Seema Malhotra won everyone’s hearts with their excellent compering of the event.
Our Mitti Foundation general secretary Ravi Verma said that the programme was not only a festival of music and culture but also proved to be a beautiful example of connection with mitti (Indian culture and ethos), the empowerment of special children, and international cultural exchange.
It is noteworthy that Our Mitti Foundation has once again proved that “mitti” is not merely dust, but the most beautiful symbol and harmonious blend of our identity, our culture and our emotions, the organisation’s chairman Pramod Kumar Suman said.
The event was graced by many distinguished personalities with their presence.
