President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the Indian arts can spread peace and harmony in a world replete with tension and conflict. She also said that the country’s arts is the best example of its soft power.
The president was speaking after presenting the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards (Akademi Puruskar) for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 at Vigyan Bhawan here.
“We should take pride in the fact that the oldest and best traditions of art have developed in our country. Our cultural values have become more useful in the modern era. In today’s time which is full of tension and conflict, Indian arts can spread peace and harmony. Indian arts is also the best example of the country’s soft power,” she said. The Akademi Ratna was given to nine exponents of different art forms, namely Bharatnatyam dancer Saroja Vaidyanathan, Kathakali exponent Sadanam Krishnan Kutty, Manipuri dancer Darshana Jhaveri, classical vocalist Chhannu Lal Mishra, Carnatic clarinet player A K C Natarajan, tabla player Swapan Chaudhuri, Carnatic and Hindustani musician T V Gopalakrishnan, folk singer Teejan Bai, and musicologist Bharat Gupt.
