Lui Ngai Ni festival celebrated in Manipur

Our Correspondent

Chandel, Feb. 15 (EMN): Lui-Ngai-Ni, the seed sowing festival of the Nagas of Manipur, was celebrated on the theme ‘One culture, our journey’ at Chandel Christian ground, 65 km west of Imphal on Tuesday.

Padmashri Rewben Mashangva, a well known folk musician and singer attended the district-level celebration in the presence of President Kho John of United Naga Council and President Asha Wungnam of Naga Women Union, besides functionaries of All Naga Students Union and Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights. All the chiefs of Chandel district were also present.

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Addressing the gathering, President David Boyes of the Chandel Naga People’s Organisation(CNPO) said ‘we the people in the Chandel are supposed to host the Lui Ngai Ni festival for the whole the state but with the prevailing (Covid) situation, we under UNC have decided to split to various districts’.

‘But UNC and all the Naga frontal organisations do not want to disappoint us and they decided to come and join us. We’re very happy for this decision and we thank the UNC president and colleagues,’ the CNPO leader said.

Stating that many cultures, languages, practices, and norms of societies were ‘dying’ , he said, “For us, we the Nagas fortunately- our leaders in the past have decided to preserve these and we’re putting up a lot of cultural dances and attires and other forms of social activities due to the effort of the good leaders,” he said.

During the festival celebration, various cultural programmes were organized among which the lightning of sacred fire was one of the popular cultural performancse. However due to the prevailing Covid situation, many events were curtailed except the necessary rituals which include distribution of seeds of various seasonal crops to all the tribe chiefs of Chandel by Chandel Christian village chief JS Lakhsman to his colleagues during the day’s function.

On eve of the fest, Governor La Ganesan and Chief Minister N Biren singh extended greetings to the people of Manipur especially Naga community on the joyous occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni festival.