LUCKNOW, April 11 -- Governor Anandiben Patel on Friday said that theatre, music, and literature have always guided society towards sensitivity. She further said art is not merely a medium of expression but the voice of the soul and artistes should act as guardians of society, bringing truth to the forefront. The governor expressed these views while speaking at the Padma Shri Raj Bisaria Thrust Auditorium of Bhartendu Natya Academi (BNA) as part of the academy's Golden Jubilee celebrations. "The Academi's contribution of over 50 years in elevating theatre to greater heights is commendable. Students graduating from here are not just performers, but they also become aware cultural ambassadors of the society," she said. Referring to the play 'Anandamath' staged as part of the event, the governor said that today's youth need to understand why Vande Mataram was written and what inspired it. "While reading Anandamath, I was moved to tears as it depicts a time when women and the elderly suffered oppression under British rule, and seers raised their voice with the call for freedom," Patel added. The governor also mentioned a special service initiative at Jan Bhavan where 85 children rescued from beggary have been given shelter in a new facility. She appealed to artistes present at the event to visit Jan Bhavan and teach theatre to the underprivileged children. She also emphasised that theatre should not remain confined to cities but must reach villages as folk arts and dialects are our true cultural wealth. On the occasion, the governor released a booklet based on seven plays on Ahilyabai Holkar. Speaking at the event, deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said India is a nation rich in Vedic wisdom and scientific heritage. Expressing concern over the current situation in West Bengal, he said that the land is known for giving personalities like Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. He further said West Bengal has now fallen under an unfortunate shadow. He urged artistes to remain alert to contemporary issues and assured full government support. People associated with various art forms were honoured on the occasion. They included Malini Awasthi, Sushil Kumar Singh, Abhilash Narayan, Sanjeev Agnihotri, Vinay Kumar, Pramod Pathak, Prachi Pathak, Alok Parik, Vijay Kumar Saini, Jagmohan Rawat, Dimpy Mishra, Kulin Kumar Joshi, Amit Dixit, Vinod Mishra, Ashok Pathak, Vijit Singh, Premnath and Mahendra Verma....