Shillong, Aug 21 (UNI) In order to promote cultural contacts between various regions in India, the Sangeet Natak Akademi has asked the state governments of the North-East to include traditional cultures of the region in school curriculum.

''Northeast has good talent in music and the region is a special area of concern for the Akademi. The diverse culture of the region should be integrated in a meaningful way,'' Akademi's chairman Ram Nivas Mirdha said while inaugurating the first regional Centre of the Sangeet Natak Akademi here yesterday.

The regional centre would promote varied programmes, implement central schemes, inspect functioning of various institutions, besides making an effort to document the vanishing art forms in the form an archive.

Mr Mridha said inclusion of traditional cultures in school curricula would help youngsters understand the importance of their own culture and identity in a better way, besides keeping them away from the ill-effects of Western culture.

''This will help attract the youth to their own culture, especially at a time when many of the youngsters are fascinated by Western culture,'' he said.

Mr Mirdha said SNA would document the various indigenous cultures and heritage of the region and create an archive for them.

''The archive will help not only scholars in doing research on the cultures of the region but also promote adventure tourism in the North-East,'' the Akademi's chairman said.

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