NEW DELHI: Uncertainty looms large over various cultural events and festivals being organised by the art, culture and language department in the national capital, as it has shelved all proposed programmes planned till March-end due to emergence of COVID-19 cases and communal riots that erupted in northeast Delhi.
Senior government officials said that the entire administration is focused on providing relief work to riot-hit families while also minimizing the spread of the virus and addressing the fear surrounding it.“The department is just not thinking about cultural events or festivals. At present, priorities are different. There is no revised schedule or dates as we don’t know how long its impact will last. All proposed events have been shelved for the time being,” said an official.
The music festival — Dilli Durbar — which was supported by the department and was scheduled for February in Sunder Nursery was also postponed. The department organises several music, dance, theatre, arts events, workshops and poetry symposiums throughout the year to promote the cultural heritage of the city. It also holds fairs during festivals seasons at Dilli Haat.
Officials also said past political events including elections, continuous protests over the CAA, and incidents of violence in universities, had forced the department to cancel some mega-events scheduled between November and January.
“One of our biggest events — Yamuna Mahotsav — to highlight the history and pollution of the Yamuna proposed at Central Park in CP was postponed thrice for different reasons. The department had planned this in December but the idea has been dropped now. The festival was planned following the directions of a committee appointed by the NGT for spreading awareness on the Yamuna,” said the official.