The 3-day annual national conference of the Indian Peoples Theatre Association (IPTA) that concluded in Daltonganj, about 175km from Ranchi, on Sunday asked cultural activists to work for spreading the message of unity, equality, peace and camaraderie to fight hatred in the present scenario.

“Over 600 delegates from 21 states of the country attended this meet who also brought out a cultural procession, presented their respective art forms and participated in various seminars and group discussions over the past three days,” Shyamal Mullick, IPTA’s Jharkhand state unit chief and national council member, informed when contacted.

“The political leaders are now teaching culture when cultural workers should actually make people aware about exact crises of the country and the ways out,” IPTA national president and well-known theatre personality Prasanna said at the inaugural session on Friday.

The meet also organised seminars and group discussions on such topics as social justice, economic imbalance and communalism, besides scientific temperament and reasoning and environment and climate change that were addressed by writers and cultural activists.

“Voice must be raised against rising communalism through various art forms,” said well-known writer Ranendra while speaking at one of those sessions.

Different speakers highlighted that it was the need of the hour to speak out the truth so that the nation’s social fabric remained intact.

“Ideas propagating scientific temperament should be encouraged through art and culture,” argued Gauhar Raja, adding that would help encounter unscientific rumours.

While Nadiruddin asked for highlighting through cultural activities the state of domestic violence and gender issues, Meenakshi Pahwa stressed on making people aware about issues concerning environment and climate change.

The artists and cultural activists, many of them dressed in traditional outfits, brought out a cultural procession through Daltonganj town drawing the attention of curious onlookers on Friday.

Cultural programmes were also organised at the local Shivaji Maidan in the evenings of all the three days when troops from different states presented art forms typical of their respective states.

Besides, Sufi singer Mir Mukhtiyar Ali presented Kalams of various Sufi saints on Friday evening while folk singer Neha Singh Rathod performed on Sunday evening.

An exhibition showing the journey of IPTA, photographs, cartoons and posters was also organised at the local Town Hall.