Transformation of Ningol Chakkouba
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 27, 2022 -

In this contemporary materialistic society, it seems that the fervent appeals by some concerned organisations to celebrate the Ningol Chakkouba in a modest and thrifty manner wouldn't have many takers for the centuries-old festival has been fully transformed into a race for gifting as per the economic status and convenience of the individual families.

With material possession considered status symbol in the society and lavish spending on married sisters and daughters by the male siblings and parents hallmark of the celebration, there is ample evidence that the fervent appeals for doing away with the extravagance hasn't been able to impress upon many.

From ministers to civil societies, greetings are extended to the women of Manipur in connection with Ningol Chakkouba festival, which is celebrated on the second day of the lunar month of Hiyangei, with almost all reminding the masses that the festival is not about who can spend extravagantly but to reaffirm and strengthen the bond of love and unity between brothers and sisters.

Though it is regrettable that the manner of celebrating the festival, that speaks of the undying love and familial relationship between brothers and sisters, has been changed over the years due to the race in exchange of gifts, it is unlikely that the messages sent out for judicious usage of one's resources would be able to reverse the trend, for those who can afford would always make it a point to present their daughters with costly items in a brazen display of wealth while the poorer ones too toil to ensure that their married daughters and sisters don't feel inferior.

Thus, regardless of the strong urge and need to scale down the festival-induced spending, especially in a state like Manipur where many continue to struggle to make both ends meet, there has been an unmissable change in the mode of celebrating the grand festival, whose essence is basically to cement the bonding between brothers and sisters.

While the clarion call by civil societies and religious organisations not to commercialise the festival is understandable as extravagant spending has been diluting the treasured essence of Ningol Chakkouba, there is remote chance of the sanity calls evoking positive response from the masses in view of the general concept that the once-in-a-year festival would lose its splendour in case the male siblings can't live up to the expectation of their sisters.

Nevertheless, it would be grossly unfair to assume that all the Meetei families are prodigals for there are many, including the relatively wealthier ones who are still upholding the festival's real spirit and age-old tradition of lunching together with married sisters and daughters and presenting them gifts of basic necessities.

Such pristineness of the festival is one of the reasons why Ningol Chakkouba is no more confined to the Meetei community alone as is evident from other ethnic communities too joining the festival.

The festival today has also transformed into a multi-ethnic event with civil societies hosting Ningol Chakkouba feast for non-Meetei womenfolk in different parts of the state.

There might be steady degeneration of the festival's essence but one can cherish its undiluted characteristics of unifying familial bonds and also promoting camaraderie amongst the indigenes.