Excelsior Correspondent
DODA, Nov 30: A day-long cultural festival “Adhikaar” was organised at sports stadium here to promote electoral awareness and elicit greater participation in the ongoing election. The programme was organised as a part of ongoing “Matdaan Mahotsav” under Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP).
Deputy Commissioner (District Election Officer) Kathua Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary was chief guest on the occasion. Addl DC Prasanna Ramaswami, Addl DDC N S Bali, Commandant CRPF Rawat, ARO Anshul Garg, ACD Tilak Raj, CEO Thoru Ram, senior officers of district administration and heads of various educational institutions participated in the festival which was attended by thousands of people and students of various colleges as well as artists.
Artists and poets from Pathankote, Jallandhar, Amritsar, Jammu, Kathua and various other places enthralled the audience with their exceptional performances. Students from schools and colleges and a number of cultural groups of Kathua and Samba, singers from the district and musicians from across the States presented their talents and skills through songs, poems, dances, cultural shows, skits, dramas, and a series of other cultural programmes aimed at promoting ethical and informed voting and appealing for greater participation in the forthcoming elections. Dance items were also presented by artists and students from Punjab and Kathua.
A Rangoli Competition on the theme “Vote as Right and Duty” was also organised on the sidelines of cultural show in which more than 20 impressive designs on rangoli were prepared by groups of young voters and students to reflect their artistic skills for promotion of electoral awareness and participation. Rangoli was later inspected by the chief guest, senior officers and judges of the competition.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Shahid impressed upon the audience to create a history for Kathua by record electoral participation to strengthen democracy and showcase the district as gateway of a strong democratic State which is known as crown of India.
He appealed the elders, youth, women, special abled, border residents, people of hilly belt and officials of district administration to continue working with same missionary zeal for glory of Kathua as well as democracy.
He also visited the 3rd Electoral Photo Exhibition and inspected the contents displayed for electoral awareness and promotion of ethical voting.
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