Hyderabad, Apr 1 (PTI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said it is our duty to celebrate the lives of freedom fighters who fought for the country's independence as he called upon the people to revisit the lives of these great leaders and make youth aware of their inspirational stories.

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“As proud Indians, we are duty bound to celebrate the lives of the freedom fighters who made innumerable sacrifices to free the nation from the clutches of oppressive British rule,” Naidu said, addressing the gathering during the inauguration of the 12th ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav' being organised by the Ministry of Culture here, according to an official release.

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The Vice President highlighted the 'twin purpose' of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav -- one is to remember the sacrifices of freedom fighters, and the second is to promote and preserve rich Indian cultural heritage and art forms.

Observing that our rich and diverse languages are an inalienable part of our glorious cultural heritage, Naidu emphasised the need to promote the use of Indian languages in every walk of life.

He also wanted people to visit historical monuments, including places like the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and Cellular Jail in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, to learn about the sacrifices of our freedom fighters.

Naidu further called for including the life stories of freedom fighters and social reformers from various parts of the country in school textbooks to inspire the younger generation.

Describing India's cultural treasure of music and dance as one of the greatest gifts to the world, the Vice President stressed the need to preserve and propagate these rich art forms.

In this regard, he also emphasised the need for providing timely and affordable credit and marketing avenues to artisans to enable them to stand on their own feet. “We must ensure that our artists and craftsmen find means to lead a life of dignity and honour,” he stressed.

Praising the Ministry of Culture for promoting and conserving the country's rich and diverse cultural heritage, Naidu said the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav provides a good opportunity for traditional performing artists and crafts persons to come under one roof to showcase their talent.

Observing that the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav is evolving into a platform for performance and exhibition of rare and near extinct art and craft forms, the Vice President opined that this festival will go a long way in making people, especially the younger generation, aware of the richness of India's culture and traditions.

Around 550 folk artists from 35 folk groups and around 150 artisans from Zonal Cultural Centres will participate in the festival.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya; Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region G Kishan Reddy, and other dignitaries participated in the event, the release added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)