Report by Swati
Nainital, August 30, 2026
The auditorium of CRST Inter College in Nainital resonated with revolutionary songs, poetry and powerful literary expressions on Sunday as the Girda-Virendra Memorial Ceremony was organised to commemorate the creative legacy of noted Uttarakhand poets Girda (Girish Chandra Tiwari) and Virendra Dangwal.The event also marked the completion of 50 years of Yugmanch’s theatre journey, an organisation that has played a significant role in giving a new dimension to theatre and cultural activism across India.The programme was jointly organised by Yugmanch, Nainital Samachar and Jan Sanskriti Manch at the newly constructed auditorium of CRST Inter College.Auditorium Echoes with Revolutionary Songs and Poetry.The cultural programme featured several iconic compositions associated with Girda and Virendra Dangwal, including “Jaita Ek Din To Aalo, Ud Din Yo Duni Mein,” “Hamara Samaj,” “Kaisa Ho School Hamara,” “Uttarakhand Meri Matribhoomi” and “Savni Sanjh Aakash Dhula Hai Re.”The performances evoked memories of the two influential writers and highlighted their enduring contribution to Uttarakhand’s literary and cultural movement.The programme began with musical renditions of poems by students of Sangeet Yatra Music Academy and Sainik School, who presented the compositions in a musical format.This was followed by a presentation by Pradeep Pandey on the life, personality and literary contribution of Girda and Virendra Dangwal. D.K. Sharma subsequently presented a recitation of their poetry. Eminent Poets Pay Tribute As part of the memorial dedicated to the literary journey of Girda and Virendra Dangwal, poets and writers including Siddheshwar Singh, Mohan Rawat, Hemant Bisht, Swati Melkani, Dr Ashok Kumar Joshi, Dr Mahesh Bawari and Utpal Pandey, among others, presented their works and paid poetic tributes to the two celebrated writers.Senior social workers Alok Shah, Geeta Shah and Narayan Singh Jantwal, along with Rajiv Lochan Shah, Dr Anil Bisht, educationist Bishan Singh Mehta, Dr Ravi Joshi and Navendu Mathpal, were among the prominent guests present at the programme.Yugmanch’s Five-Decade Cultural Legacy Celebrated The event served not only as a tribute to Girda and Virendra Dangwal but also as a celebration of Yugmanch’s five decades of contribution to theatre, literature and cultural expression.Organisers and supporters including Zahoor Alam, Rajiv Lochan Shah, Dinesh Upadhyay, D.K. Sharma, Vinod Pandey, Raja Shah, Naveen Begana, Bhaskar Bisht, Manoj Kumar, Neha and Himanshu Pandey, among others, contributed to the successful organisation of the programme.The event was conducted by Tribhuvan Fartyal.The ceremony concluded with a collective rendition of legendary lyricist Shailendra’s iconic song “Tu Zinda Hai To Zindagi Ki Jeet Par Yakeen Kar”, as participants remembered the renowned poet and lyricist on his 103rd birth anniversary.The concluding performance transformed the memorial into a powerful celebration of literature, theatre, music and the continuing relevance of socially conscious cultural expression.
