Arts and artists play important role in building society: Himachal Pradesh governor

The arts and artists play an important role in building society, Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has said.

He presided over the closing ceremony of the 68th annual All India Drama and Dance Competition organised by the All India Artist Association (AIAA) here, according to an official release on Sunday.

The governor said that dance and drama have always been an integral part of human civilization.

''It is such a powerful form of expression in which there is no boundary of language and it effectively conveys feelings, stories and ideas where words fall short,'' he said, adding it has the ability to awaken deep emotions in people and broaden their imagination.

On the occasion, the governor presented the Sudarshan Gaur Lifetime Achievement Award to Prashant Bhagat, Balraj Sahni Award to Lokinder Trivedi, and Gopi Krishna National Award to Ashish Pillai and Meenu Chadha for their outstanding contributions in the field of art.

All India Artist Association president Rohitashv Gour said that about 1,000 artists from 20 states participated in this five-day competition here.