Hype around Sangai Fest
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: November 19, 2013 -

A lot has been perceived on the ensuing Sangai Festival 2013 to be organized by the Tourism Department, Government of Manipur at Hapta Kangjeibung from November 21-30.

This 10-day long annual festival intended at showcasing and promoting the best of what the State has to offer to the world in terms of art and culture, handloom, handicrafts and fine arts, indigenous sports, cuisines and music, eco and adventure sport as well as the scenic natural beauty of the land.

Over the years, the festival has also assumed great significance with every succeeding edition of the festival which celebrates the ethnic diversity of Manipuri society, attracting participation from various Indian States, foreign traders and cultural troupes making the event more grander in scale and style.

This time, with the Chief Ministers of Saigang and Mandalay Region of Myanmar confirming their participation in the festival, steps have been taken up for connecting Mayanmar and Manipur by air for the first time in history in tandem with the government's acknowledgement of the need to upgrade Imphal Tulihal Airport as an international standard airport.

Other necessary and beautification works like blacktopping of the main roads which lead to the venue of the festival, putting up of glittering lighting effects along the main road stretches, re-painting of the road medians, etc, have been going on in full swing as the government want to make sure that no stones are left unturned regarding the arrangement and management of the festival this.

Traffic regulation has been also enforced w.e.f. from November 18 up to November 30, the day the festival would end to ensure smooth traffic flow and avoid traffic congestion during the festival.

In short, one can expect an even greater show this time.

However, amidst all these overwhelming euphoria surrounding the much-talked Sangai Festival, it has unfortunately drawn flaks from various quarters with some of them even leveling the charges of reducing the event to a commercial gala instead of promoting art and culture, and of course, the tourism potentials of the State.

While the organizers of the festival have been planning to make this year's edition of Manipur Sangai Festival the grandest one ever held with many as 531 stalls up for opening, the decision of charging a whopping Rs 8000 or upto Rs 15000 as against Rs 10000 in previous year for each premier and food stall has been strongly denounced.

The manner in which the right of ticket counter, parking slot and tent service was allocated to agents was also questioned by many people pointing out that prior and proper tender had not been floated to the knowledge of the public.

As far as expenditure requirements of the festival goes, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, while inaugurating the the newly constructed Maharaja Chandrakriti Auditorium at Art and Culture Complex on November 17 last, had disclosed that a staggering Rs 2.27 crores will be spent by the State Government for ensuring the success of the Sangai Festival 2013.

In short, the hype around the festival is brimming.

But the question that remains to be answered is what the Government has done for the protection of State Animal, Sangai after which the festival has been named?

What would be the significance of all this hype around the festival if the endangered Deer is to lose its traces from Manipur from continued negligence of the successive Governments and an equally insensitive people, for whom the annual festival is nothing but an evening out after a hard day's work.

When we go to the festival, let's try to listen to the cries of Sangais in their fast deteriorating natural habitat at Keibul Lamjao National Park instead of just admiring at the sculpted replicas of Sangais that would be surely put as the centre piece of the festival venue at Hapta Kangjeibung this time as well.