New Delhi, Sep 29 : President Pratibha Devisingh Patil today said cultural diplomacy was a potent instrument in the country's foreign policy and the country's traditions must be preserved.
She was addressing the occasion while conferring the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards and Fellowships for the year 2009.
''Cultural diplomacy is a potent instrument in our foreign policy. Cultural exchanges, I believe, are important to promote understanding between peoples and must be encouraged,'' she said.
''In today's globalised and integrated world, there are cross-cultural currents and, at the same time, advances in technology are providing newer variants of art and music.
In these circumstances, questions of how to absorb change and how to retain the traditional styles present a challenge,'' she added.
Recalling her recent trip to Laos and Cambodia, the President said, ''There are historical and cultural monuments in both these countries that are a glorious testimony to our common cultural heritage. In the language, customs and rituals also there are many commonalities. For example, the Baci ceremony of Laos where threads are tied on the wrists of friends and family for their welfare and security is very much like our festival of Rakshabandhan. I witnessed performances in Cambodia based on the Ramayana.'' The President also said, ''Material prosperity through the application of science and technology is no doubt essential for any modern community. But economic progress by itself in a cultural vacuum would be soulless. We must continue to have an environment where excellence in art and culture can be achieved.'' Six eminent personalities namely Lalgudi Jayaraman (Carnatic Violinist), Shreeram Lagoo (Theatre Actor), Yamini Krishnamurti, (Bharatanatyam exponent), Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi (Scholar of Sanskrit Theatre), Kishori Amonkar and Pandit Jasraj (Hindustani Vocalists) were conferred Akademi Fellowships.
Pandit Jasraj could not attend the function to collect the honour.
The Fellows received Rs three lakh, an angavastram and a tamrapatra.
Presently, there are only 32 living Fellows of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Besides, 33 artists from Music, Dance and Theatre received the Akademi Awards and received Rs one lakh, an angavastram and a tamrapatra. In the field of Music, eight artists namely Abdul Rashid Khan and Vasundhara Komkali for Hindustani Vocal Music, Lachman Singh Seen (Tabla) and Ali Ahmad Hussain (Shehnai) for Hindustani Instrumental Music, Parassala B Ponnammal for Camatic Vocal, U Shrinivas (Mandolin) and Dandamudi Sumathi Rama Mohan Rao (Mridangam) for Camatic Instrumental Music, and L Ibohalmacha Singh (Nata Sankirtana) for Other Major Traditions of Music received the Award.
In the field of Dance, eight practitioners namely Ananda Shankar Jayant (Bharatanatyam) Prerana Shrimali (Kathak), Kalamandalam Rajan (Kathakali), L Bino Devi (Manipuri), Geeta Mahalik (Odissi), Vyjayanthi Kashi (Kuchipudi), Daksha Sheth (Creative and Experimental) and Kala Krishna (Other Major Traditions of Dance-Andhranatyam) received the honour.
Theatrepersons to be honoured were playwright Vayala Vasudevan Pillai (Malayalam), actors Sudha Shivpuri and Neeta Mohindra, and directors Joy Michael and Dinesh Thakur. Kamal Arora (Make-up) and Kuldeep Singh Vig (Music for Theatre) received the Award in the category of Allied Theatre Arts.
Awardee playwright Shankar Narayan Navre (Marathi) could not attend the function to collect the award.
For their contribution, 10 Other Traditional/Folk/ Tribal Music, Dance and Theatre, Musafir Ram Bhardwaj (Folk Dance-Himachal Pradesh), Vilayat Khan Ragi (Dhadhi Folk Music Punjab), U K Kunjirama Panicker (Theyyam-Kerala), Jaganath Behera (Pala-Orissa), Shanti Jain (Folk Music-Bihar), Vithal Gangaram Umap (Folk Theatre-Maharashtra) and Bhikhudan Govindbhai Gadhvi (Folk Music-Gujarat) were given the Award.
Moin-ul-Haque from Assam received the Award for his contribution to Mime while Leela Venkataraman was honoured with the Award for her Overall Contribution to Performing Arts.
In the ceremony, Union Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan represented the Prime Minister, who is also the Minister for Culture.