Lamjir Utt: Carnival of Aimol Tribes held
Source: The Sangai Express
Tengnoupal, December 04 2018:
The largest festival of Aimol community "Lamjir Utt Cum Cultural Festival was held at Aimol Ngairong village, Pallel, Tengnoupal district today.
The theme of the festival was "My Culture, My Identity" .
In Aimol language, lam means road, jir means construction and utt means festival and it is generally celebrated before the harvest of paddy crops during the month of October and November.
The festival is aimed at signifying the repairing of roads inside and outside the village by dogma (Leishabi) deathar (pakhang) youths in old times.
Rice beer was prepared to serve the people who work in repairing of the roads, followed by singing of folk songs and group dance.
During the festival, one of the biggest cattle will killed to serve the people in a feast.
Traditionally it used to be one of the biggest festivals of Aimol tribes but it had not been celebrated formally in a grand manner all these times before today.
At present the population of Aimol community is around 3500 and the tribe is one of the most unique and indigenous tribes of Manipur.
Today's festival was witnessed by more than 500 people from the localities that surround the festival venue of Ngairong village.
The surrounding Aimol villages at Pallel are Satu, Kungjai, Chingnunghut, Kombirei, Tampak, Khullen, Kadamphai, Ngairong, Chandonpokpi and Unapal and all the surrounding localities performed their cultural activities during the festival.
At the festival, Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly Y Khemchand Singh, Dr W La'nu Aimol (Director i/c CRC Guwahati), Sunil Karam (president, UCM), Shyamjai (Ex president AMWJU), Elangbam Johnson (social activist), Dewan Sharma (president, AMUCO), Naba Volcano (Art & Culture co ordinator) and Konsam Langamba (Advocate and former UCM president) attended as the chief guest, president and guest of honours respectively.
Prof Nandakumar (Dept of Anthropology, MU) spoke as the resource person.
At the event, Sunil Karam said that Aimol will stay Aimol and no other major tribes should not assimilate, minority tribes like Aimol in Manipur.
Today's grand festival is a success because Aimol community has preserved its unique identity and history.
At some point of time, major tribes forces minor community to be assimilated to it and it is hot a positive sign when viewed from the perspective of unity and integrity in Manipur, he added.
He further said that major tribes should not force small tribes for assimilation; instead they should respect minor tribes.
He also appreciated the Aimol community for preserving their identity inherited from their forefathers.
Speaker Y Khemchand said that the people of the State love peace and harmony and added that he didn't attend the festival as part of Government initiative or program but as a part of his personal interests to bring love and peace between the hills and the valley.
He also added that he will help to complete the construction of the unfinished community hall at Ngairong village.
Prof Nandakumar said that there is cultural erosion in almost all part of the world due to western type of education thus leading to loss of identity, ideology and tradition.
Its time revive the cultural identity that we lost during British colonial era, he added.
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