The Karbi Youth Festival, once a huge crowd puller basking with all glorious Karbi traditional events and affluent culture this time around was only a carcass of its splendid past.

Although total indifference of the KAAC authority adversely affected the financial aspects of the festival, it failed to dampen the never dying spirit of the youthful Karbi society as hundreds of young people worked around the clock to make this cultural extravaganza attain its zenith. A huge turnout from every nook and corner of the district kept the festival site buzzing with activity for all the four days.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Joysing Rongpi, the main architect of the fiesta lamented the fact that due to the imposition of 144 CrPC, organizers had to face a severe crisis in the smooth arrangement of several aspects of this Karbi national festival.

Mr. Joysing Rongpi made it clear that neither the State Government nor the KAAC authority had the courtesy to extend any contribution or financial support for this mega event, this year a budget of only fifty lakhs was marked for the completion of the KYF, he further mentioned.

Taralangso was once admired and treasured in the heart of almost every Karbi youth, the euphoria of becoming an accomplished artist or a true ambassador of Karbi ethnicity lured many youngsters to embrace the real essence of a cultural life. However, in recent years, prolonged lack of concern by the ruling regime towards this mega event has resulted in its slow death, ironically the ruling party is more interested in promoting and uplifting perverted western culture by patronising rock shows, vulgar dance items etc. The Karbi Youth Festival was largely helping the Karbi youths. A conscious attempt was made to secure the lost identity of the Karbis, a platform was laid where, along with adopting the modern way of life, the Karbi Cultural Society encouraged the tribal youths to revive and revere their traditional way of life.

The example of Rina Inghipi, who came with a bag full of dreams and a heart full of thriving aspirations, and had to return dejected and disheartened is a common reality for many Karbi youths for whom aspirations end needlessly simply because of the loathsome attitude of some politicians.

Many young people with dreams to excel in the field of art and culture who came to Taralangso received grueling training in the field of traditional art and mores with special emphasis on Karbi cultural heritage, they prospered under the watchful eyes of many intellectual icons of Assam and acquired advanced schooling on Karbi folk songs. These youths were given the podium to present several stage dramas at Taralangso and other centers of Assam within a few years.

These young Karbi youths came to the limelight within no time. Hailing from different tinsel hamlets of Karbi Anglong, they soon became perfect symbols of the Karbi heritage by dint of their relentless work ethics.

They were young when the dream of standing out in the field of fine art and culture brought them to Taralangso. They were appointed as staff artists by KCS and they made Taralangso their permanent place of living and they undertook several tours in the form of cultural exchange programmes at different places of the country.

Many Karbi youths who flourished under the banner of KCS even today pensively recalls their heydays, their memorable moments, the joy and ecstasy, their minute of triumph and glory when they reached the pinnacle of accomplishment.

Events like the KYF or Karbi Lammet Amei or Assam Sahitya Sabha are beyond any political issue and should be kept in high esteem. Politicians and political parties should try to preserve these events as national treasures and not try to sink them. Today Karbi Lammet Amei is thriving under the patronage of the ruling class, what if a change occurs in the political arena? Will history repeat itself? If the complacency of the politicians continues, the day is not far when a tainted and misinterpreted culture will be all that survives of this rich culture and Karbi society will disintegrate with little to offer to the greater world. The next generation Karbis may even forget all about their past glory and become victims of a perverted Western culture, for loss of culture is loss of identity.