HYDERABAD: A fresh cultural current swept into Hyderabad on Thursday, bringing with it the colours, voices and traditions of the Northeast. What opened as a formal inauguration soon evolved into a vibrant, free-flowing celebration of two regions eager to learn from one another, collaborate and create something enduring together.
The three-day celebration, titled, Telangana-North East Connect, organised by the state government in partnership with Raj Bhavan and the Ministry for the Development of the Northeastern Region, opened with a vision rooted in connection — to create a shared space for cultural, technological and economic exchange between Telangana and Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
More than a showcase of heritage, the festival is aimed at championing unity in diversity and promoting collaborative development.
Its scale matched its ambition. Nearly 2,000 visitors are expected each day, and around 40 eminent personalities, including Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardees, Sahitya Akademi recipients, National Film Award winners and Arjuna Awardees are slated to participate. Sports found a place in the schedule as well, with badminton and table tennis tournaments planned for Friday at the Gachibowli Stadium.
The second phase, beginning on November 25, would shift focus towards healthcare, IT, pharmacy and other key sectors.
Day one set the tone with a burst of colour and sound as Perini Natyam, Pung Cholom, Tangkhul folk music, Sattriya dance and other performances transformed the venue into a vibrant meeting point of two cultural worlds.
Later in the evening, artisans were felicitated, their craft recognised as an essential thread in this growing tapestry of exchange.
Speaking at the inauguration, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma described the festival as the first of its kind in Telangana, an event designed to deepen cultural, social and economic bonds between Telangana and the Northeast.
He underlined how the initiative would open an unprecedented channel between the two regions and become a milestone for strengthening socioeconomic relations, particularly through exchanges in science, technology and other fields.
TG will be second home to people from NE: Revanth
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy framed the festival as something long overdue. Bonds between Telangana and the Northeast, he said, had existed but had not been recognised in the way they deserved.
He recalled how, in the 1970s and 1980s, people from northern India would casually refer to all southern Indians as “Madrasi,” pointing out that the Northeast had endured the same kind of erasure.
He assured the gathering that Telangana would stand as a second home for people from the region.
Tripura Governor N Indrasena Reddy echoed this sentiment, commending the effort in the spirit of “Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat”.
Principal Secretary to the Governor, M Dana Kishore, placed the event in a broader framework. He said this techno-cultural festival was conceived to enable sustained collaboration, mutual understanding and the exchange of knowledge across arts, culture, technology, sports and innovation — with the overarching goal of empowering communities in both regions, building lasting cultural bonds, celebrating heritage and innovation, enabling dialogue and creating a forum for creativity as part of the first phase.
Over the next two days, the festival’s first phase would continue with panel discussions and events across fine arts, performing arts, literature, women’s empowerment, films and sports — each session extending the conversation that began on this inaugural night.
Land promised for NE Bhavans In Future City
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced that Telangana would allocate land in the upcoming 30,000-acre Future City for the establishment of India’s first “North-East Connect Centre”. Northeast state would receive space to construct its own building, complete with hostel facilities and handicraft hubs. He added that cooperation from such communities would be crucial in taking forward the development goals of Telangana