Konyaks celebrate ‘plastic-free’ festival at Longleng

Dimapur, Sep. 29 (EMN): As part of the sanitation programme “Swachhata Hi Seva” or ‘cleanliness is service’ campaign, the Konyak community in Longleng observed on Sep. 28 the Lao-ong mo festival, which was a ‘plastic-free celebration,’ updates stated.
The government publicity agency the department of Information and Public Relations (IPR) issued updates on September 29 giving details about the event.

The people there observed the programme with the theme “celebrating festival of thanksgiving with oneness and no to plastic’ (sic), the IPR reported.

Acknowledging the initiative and contribution of the community, the Longleng Town Council gave recognition to community groups with cash prizes besides distributing waste bins to them during the programme, the updates stated.

According to the IPR, the celebration was marked by the use of ‘indigenous’ local plates, cups, spoons, and filters etc made of bamboos, wood and leaves.

Yanyak Konyak, an assistant professor at Yingli College, spoke about the significance of the Lao-ong mo.
“He appealed to the gathering to celebrate the festival with traditional value and was optimistic that the festival would bring peace and harmony among the Konyaks living in Longleng and build good cordial relationship with other community,” the IPR stated.

In his vote of thanks the district public relations officer for Longleng, Hongpi Konyak, briefed the gathering about the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign in the district. He talked about the hazards that plastic can cause on health and the environment.

The officer was stated to have urged the Konyak community in the district to uphold the theme of the celebration in true spirit and share the message with others starting from their respective family, the IPR stated.

Community leaders from the area also spoke at the programme. In their short speeches, the council chairman of Oushok village Shingmei Phom and senior citizen B Chumben Phom spoke about the ‘traditional bilateral bonds’ between the Konyak and the Phom communities and the existence of the relations between the two even in the present times, the IPR stated.

Exhorting the gathering, they lauded the Konyak Union unit in Longleng for organizing the festival ‘with uniqueness in line with plastic free campaign in the district,’ the IPR added.