Suspended Shumaang Leela Festival to resume from Jan 24
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 19 2013 : The 9th Shumaang Leela Festival, which came to a pause after the Chandel molestation incident, would resume from January 24 at Iboyaima Shumaang Leela Shanglen, Sougrakpam Hemanta, Secretary of Manipur State Shumaang Leela Council has announced today.

Addressing a press meet at the office of the council, Hemanta said that the festival was suspended in solidarity with the public protest over the molestation and assault of film actress Momoko and opening fire at actor Guna and actor-singer Prakash by Livingstone Anal during a musical concert on December 18 last.

Only two plays of Kamakhya Sangeet Mandal and Chumthang Creative Association were showcased, the festival was suspended.

So, from January 24 onwards it would resume to showcase the remaining plays of 10 Shumang Leela groups.

Hemanta informed that different awards like Pidonnu Award donated by S Manaoton in the name of his late father Soraisham Kullachandra who was better known as Pidonnu Saba, Bori Award, and KETAWN's KETAWN Popular Award and KETAWN Ideal Award would be distributed on the penultimate day of the festival.

Among the awards, KETAWN Ideal Award is an outstanding award given only to such artistes who are over 40 years of age and have been working for a single association for more than 10 years.

Other individual awards would also be distributed on the last day of the festival, he added.

Hemanta said that there would be no play on January 26 and February 4 would be off day of the festival.

However, Kangleipakta 1709, a play based on the events of Puya Mei Thaba incident would be staged on same in commemoration of 284th Puya Mei Thaba observation.

He further informed in spite of resuming the festival, the artistes would continue with the agitations over the Chandel incident.

It is a good step for the government to reveal the photograph of Livingstone to the public.

Besides, a delegation of all political parties in the state has gone to Delhi to take up the issue with the seriousness it deserves.

Nonetheless, the artistes would intensify their stir if the government neglected the issue at any point of time, he added.

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