Preserve your culture : Munda tells tribal people
Source: The Sangai Express / PIB

Imphal, April 19 2023: Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda on Wednesday lauded the tribal people of the State for keeping alive culture and tradition inherited from their forefathers.

The Union Minister was addressing the closing function of the two-day 5th State level Hun Festival of the Thadou tribe held at Thomas Ground of Kangpokpi district.

Governor Anusuiya Uikey was also present at the event.

The Hun Festival is one of the biggest festivals of the Thadou community.

During the festival celebrated at the start of a year, the community offers prayers for a prosperous and fruitful year ahead.

Young children praying to their grandparents for blessings is one of the important features of the festival.

At the event, the Union Minister stated that culture is their identity and urged the tribal people to protect and preserve their culture, values and dialects.

Preserve your culture : Munda tells tribal people

"Keep alive your culture and tradition.

I am so happy as you have kept your tradition and language intact," he told the tribal people attending the closing function.

He said that tribal people are leading a happy life anywhere they live and added that the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is implementing various welfare projects and schemes to improve the living standard of the tribal people across the country.

The Central Government, he said, is working at its best to protect and preserve the culture and tradition of the tribal people including their dialects.

The Central Government has been giving special emphasis on preserving the culture and tradition of the tribal people across the country.

In the new education policy framed by the Centre, special chapters highlighting the cultural heritages of the tribals have also been included, he said.

Addressing the gathering, Governor Anusuiya Uikey appreciated the Thadou tribe for organizing the Hun cultural festival under the theme, "drug-free society" .

She said that the Hun celebration under the theme, "drug-free society" will encourage youth to stay away from drugs.

The Governor, while acknowledging the immense contribution of the tribal people across the Nation, said that land, water, and forest are protected and preserved by the tribal people.

She also said that the tribal people in the country deserve a proper lifestyle and development and added that the problems and grievances of the tribal people need to be addressed accordingly.

She also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for posting her "to the beautiful land of Manipur where the people are very innocent and peace-loving" .

The Governor also assured that she would seriously look into the problems and grievances of the tribal people and also do her best to address them.

Union Minister of State for Education and External Affairs RK Ranjan, who also attended the closing function as guest of honour, said that Thadou is one of the oldest and biggest communities and their culture and tradition have many similarities with other ethnic communities including the Meitei living together in the State.

"We must celebrate our sister festivals.

We must respect other's culture.

Other communities should be invited to our festivals," said Dr RK Ranjan.

In his address as the president of the function, State Tribal Affairs Minister Letpao Haokip said the Hun is one of the biggest festivals of the Thadou community.

During the festival, the community offers prayers for a fruitful year ahead, he added.

The closing event was also attended by Corporation Minister Nemcha Kipgen and MLA S Kunjakeshwore among others.

Notably, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda arrived in Imphal on Tuesday on a two-day visit to the State.

On Tuesday, he launched a new Central tribal oriented scheme "Marketing and Logistics Development for Promotion of Tribal Products from North Eastern Region (PTP-NER)" in the presence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh here in Imphal.

The Union Minister also reviewed various tribal welfare schemes being implemented in the State with officials of the departments concerned of the Government.