Revival of traditional folk highlighted at artistes’ conference
The Statesman | 18 July 2025
A state-wide initiative to revive and showcase Bengal’s diverse folk music traditions has taken centre stage through the Lok Prasar Prakalpa, a visionary project conceived by chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
This unique initiative has not only provided economic support to thousands of folk artistes across the state but has also led to the revival of numerous traditional folk art forms. A key objective of Lok Prasar Prakalpa is to restore dignity and recognition to folk artistes, who have historically remained underappreciated and marginalised.
A folk artistes’ conference was recently held at Chinsurah Rabindra Bhavan, organised by Lok Sanskriti O Adivasi Sanskriti Kendra with support from the District Information and Cultural Office (DICO), Chinsurah. The event was inaugurated by Chandannagar mayor Ram Chakraborty.
More than 600 folk artistes participated in the conference, presenting a mesmerising array of traditional folk dances, songs, and performances. Workshops on folk and Adivasi culture were also conducted as part of the event.
Notable folk dance forms performed included Purulia Chhau, Baul, Santhali, Lathi, Dhali, and Gambhira. Among the songs showcased were Baul, Bhawaiya, Jhumur, Ashtak, Kirtan, and others.
The DICO has played a pivotal role in the revival and promotion of traditional Bengali folk art and in supporting the artistes themselves. Pradeep Acharya of DICO noted that 10,184 folk artistes have been officially enlisted and recognised to date, with 2,896 of them benefiting from the government’s pension scheme.
Over the past year, 2,142 cultural programmes were conducted under DICO’s initiative, and a further 1,439 non-government folk events were supported and encouraged by the office.
Under the scheme, artistes aged 18–60 receive a monthly retainer fee of Rs 1,000, while senior artistes aged over 60 receive a pension of the same amount. In addition, performing artistes are paid Rs 1,000 per event as a performance fee. All payments are made directly to their bank accounts. Most enlisted artistes have also been issued photo identity cards.
The folk artistes play a crucial role in spreading awareness of various government schemes such as Kanyashree, Yuvashree, and Shikshashree through their performances. They also promote vital messages about health, hygiene, and social issues such as dowry, child marriage, and human trafficking, becoming important cultural ambassadors for change through the Lok Prasar Prakalpa.