Shirui Lily Festival opened with hills-valley rendezvous : CM strikes right chord with ukhrulites at shirui kashong
Source: The Sangai Express

Ukhrul, May 16 2017: All roads led to Ukhrul district headquarters and Shirui village, a bare 15 kms to the East of Ukhrul district headquarters and stealing the show were obviously Shirui Lily and Chief Minister N Biren who was instrumental in declaring the Shirui Lily Festival at the State level from May 16 to 20 .

The standing ovation that the Chief Minister received from the crowd at Vangayan ground, a place of historical importance to Shirui Kashong (Shirui peak, folklore has it that the catch from Shirui Kashong, mostly migratory birds, in the olden days used to be distributed at this spot and hence the name Vangayan), testified how he managed to strike a chord with the hundreds of people gathered there.

Shirui Lily Festival opened with hills-valley rendezvous : CM strikes right chord with ukhrulites at shirui kashong : Pix - DIPR

Stressing on the importance which the BJP led Government has placed on holding the festival, the Chief Minister announced that the aim is to complete the guest house, the construction of which is underway at Vangayan, by 2018 and added that a sum of Rs 5 crore has already been included in the State's financial list.

Referring to NEC Secretary Ramnganing Muivah, who was present as the special guest at the opening day of the festival, the Chief Minister jocularly but meaningfully said, "I will need to approach the NEC Secretary shortly to upgrade Vangayan, which include widening the approach road and also to construct an outhouse where trekkers to Shirui Kashong can take a break and relax after the tough climb and down." One main objective of the Shirui Lily Festival is also to find a place for the State Flower, which is the Shirui Lily, said the Chief Minister and added that preserving and protecting Shirui Lily can also be seen as promoting and protecting the State Bird, which is the Nongin and is found at Shirui Kashong, the home of the Lily.

It is unfortunate that the State Forest Department has not been able to earmark a piece of land for the promotion of the State Flower and the State Bird that the people of Shirui village had to come forward and announce that they are ready to donate the needed land.

The Chief Minister said this in reference to the failure of the past Govern- ments.

Now with a BJP Government in place, no efforts will be spared to preserve and promote the gifts of nature found in Ukhrul district, announced the Chief Minister.

It is in line with the purpose and intention of the State Government that Rs 4/ 5 crore will be included in the State Budget, announced the Chief Minister drawing loud applause and cheers from the people who had gathered there despite the rain.

Much to the delight of the people gathered there, the Chief Minister deemed it fit to recall that it was a meeting with some young girls from Shirui village who had come to urge him to release the fund for the Shirui Lily Festival which was then held at the village/district level in the past, which prompted him to announce the Lily Festival at the State level.

This was announced during his visit to Ukhrul on April 11. Taking note of the huge turnout from Imphal to attend the festival, the Chief Minister said that it had been the aspirations of the BJP led Government to promote the ties between the hills and valley and added that the huge turn out from Imphal is a telling testimony of how successful the festival is towards this end.

"Under the new dispensation we are now marching towards a new Manipur, where all are equal," added the Chief Minister.

Significantly, the majority of the people in the crowd were from Imphal.

Ukhrul town is also chock-abloc with visitors from Imphal and valley area.

Forest Minister Th Shyamkumar who addressed the gathering before the Chief Minister as the president of the function, took note of the drizzle and turned it into a moment for sharp observation, stating "The rain from above is a sign of blessing from the Almighty," and added that the BJP led Government is committed to equal development.

Taking note of the address by the headman of Shirui village who had earlier urged the Government to take up development work on a war footing, Shyamkumar said that the BJP believes in "action which is visible in the work delivered." To yet another point raised by the village headman, Shyamkumar said that a proposal will be sent to the NEC for tissue culture of Shirui Lily and to set up the needed laboratory and added that Rs 147.47 crore proposal to protect rain forests in the State through Indo-German Financial Assistance has been okayed and will be released.

Parliamentary Secretary Sapam Ranjan acknowledged the gathering drawn from different communities of the State while president of Tangkhul Naga Long, Weapon Zimik dwelt on the Lily inspired festival.

He also acknowledged the presence of the Minister, Counsellor (Commercial Royal Thai Embassy) from Thailand, Tharatol Thongruang.

Later in the evening, Forest Minister Th Shyamkumar inaugurated the Exhibition and Flower Show at TNL Ground in Ukhrul.

It drizzled throughout the day but that was not enough to dampen the spirit of the festival and the people.

The huge turn out was the testimony with cars parked over a stretch of two kms near Shirui village and from the village to the foothills of Shirui Kashong.

The cars were also parked beyond the foothills of Kashong towards Phangrei where the camping and trekking events have been lined up.