AMUCO, MSF call for gifting local products
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 25 2022:
All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) has extended greetings to the women of Manipur on the occasion of Ningol Chakkouba which falls on October 27 or the second day of the lunar month of Hiyangei.
In a release, AMUCO publicity secretary Laishram Krishnachandra pointed out that apart from being a traditional festival of the Meetei community, Ningol Chakkouba is one of the grandest festivals of Manipur and the inner meaning of the festival, which is about the bond of love and unity between brothers and sisters echoes with other communities as well.
Recalling the age old tradition of Ningol Chakkouba which has been going on since the reign of Poireiton, he said that the festival has been a symbol of brotherly and sisterly love.
However, the external forces affecting the inner meaning of the beautiful festival need to be thoroughly discussed and addressed.
The inability to overcome the materialistic competition of gifts presented on Ningol Chakkouba is unfortunate and such act should be rectified immediately, Krishnachandra continued.
In addition to it, the beautiful meaning of the festival would be rendered useless if all the products used in Ningol Chakkouba from the food items for preparing the feast to the gifts presented to the married woman are brought and bought from outside Manipur.
The festival is now in the hands of big businessmen from outside the state as most of the gifts presented to women are not locally produced, he pointed out and urged the people to take a firm stand against using products from outside the state in Ningol Chakkouba to make it more meaningful.
Urging farmers and weavers to properly indulge in farming of fish, vegetables, fruits and making handloom products for ensuring sufficient production, Krishnachandra said that AMUCO's focus on such matters in the coming Ningol Chakkouba festival is for making the state to move towards an egalitarian society.
In order to preserve the age old tradition of celebrating Ningol Chakkouba and not to dilute the bond of love between brothers and sisters, he appealed all not to compete on presenting gifts but take the pledge to purchase local products as gifts only.
The married women should also stop the practice of bringing lots of edibles to their parental homes and instead bring only the necessary items.
Moreover, there are many instances where brothers fail to present the gifts to their sisters as they get inebriated or indulged in gambling (Lagao).
Such acts demean essence of the festival, he continued, while wishing for a prosperous society with the coming of Ningol Chakkouba.
Similarly, Manipuri Students' Federation (MSF) HQ publicity secretary Abhijeet Kabrabam wished the people and women of Manipur in particular a happy and prosperous Ningol Chakkouba and to bring unity and communal harmony among the different communities.
While appealing not to join the mad race for gift presentation, he urged for gifting of local and to celebrate in a simple manner to make it more meaningful and strengthen the bond of love between brothers and sisters.
He further urged businessmen not to hike the price of es -sential commodities by taking undue advantage of the festival.
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