Correspondent
IMPHAL, January 29
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith a series of tribal folk dance and songs, the three-day 3rd State level Tribal Cultural Festival is scheduled to conclude at the Tribal Research Institute (TRI), Chingmeirong in Imphal today. Deputy chief minister Gaikhangam was the chief guest while hill area committee of the state assembly chairman Dr chaltonlien Amo was the functional president of the closing function today.Tribal MLA Manga Vaiphei also attended the closing function. The tribal cultural festival was organized by TRI under the sponsorship of Manipur government and Ministry of Tribal affairs New Delhi.
The tribal cultural festival begins at TRI Chingmeirong in Imphal on January 27 morning with State Irrigation and flood control and printing and stationary minister Ngamthang Haokip was the chief guest.Parliamentary secretaries Victor Keishing of tribal affairs and
Vungzagin Valte of horticulture and command area development authority were the guests of honour of the inaugural function.Tribal MLAS,ADC chairmen and members of ADC also attended the opening function.
Abdul Salam lone candidate for Rajya Sabha
Former Minister Md Abdul Salam will be the lone candidate of the single Raija sabha seat election which is scheduled to be held on February 7 this year. Earlier on January 27, Salam had filed his nomination papers for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Manipur.
The scrutiny of the candidate was held at the office chamber of the Returning Officer Y Indira in the Assembly Secretariat. Chief Electoral Officer O Nabakishore of the state also attended the scrutiny as an observer appointed by the Election Commission of India. Abdul Salam (65) was firstly elected from Wagabai Assembly Constituency in the year 1980. He represented in the Assembly for thrice. Former minister and prominent meitei pangal leader in Manipur takes up the step after he was cleared for the Rajya Sabha seat by the All India Congress Committee, sources in Imphal said.
If elected as Rajya Sabha Member, Abdul Salam would be the first muslim Rajya Sabha MP from Manipur from the eight assembly constituency of Thoubal district which have no right to contest in parliament polls. Earlier, Minorities Development Forum Manipur (MDFM) had urged the congress leadership to recommend a minority Manipuri Muslim as a Rajya Sabha MP from Manipur.
