First Koichop (Angling) Mela at Kakching Lake
- The Citizens of Social and Justice :: 27th October, 2011 -

Kakching, Manipur, October 26, 2011 *

The Citizens of Social and Justice
Near DSA Ground, Kakching 795103, Manipur

Koichop (Angling) Mela on eve of Ningol Chakouba (an indigenous version of Bhai Dooj) will be held at Kakching Lake tomorrow from 8AM till 2PM. Over 1000 men and women have registered to join the fishing competition. Hon’ble Member of Legislative Assembly of Kakching and Wangjing Tentha, Sri Y. Surchandra and Shri M. Hemanta will preside over the festival.

Accordingly to Organising Committee, the angling fee is set Rs 300 per head and first price of best fishing will be given cash award of Rs 3000 plus all the fish caught by the winner.

Angling Mela in connection with Ningol Chakouba is first event in the history of Manipur and it will be observe every day on the eve of Ningol Chakouba. Ningol Chaokba on October 28 is a festival, where parents and brotherhood will invite their daughters and siblings for special meal and family reunion. Male siblings will offer the best meal possible and female siblings will wear the best dresses and bring gifts and sweets.

Angling Mela has been planned for last two years by developing fisher farm at Kakching Lake. Over 100,000 pieces of indigenous fish “Pengba” have farmed along with varieties of pieces. Over 100 tons of fishes are farmed at Kakching Lake.

Kakching Lake at the foot hill of Mamang Ching and Kakching Garden at Uyok Ching are initiated and mained by standing hon’ble MLA of Kakching Shri Y. Surchandra, who served as State Planning Commission Director for 10 years and District Collector for Imphal West.

Kakching Garden has become a tourist spot in last three years and Kakching Lake yet to open its chapter. Hopefully, the opening of Koichop Mela on eve of Ningol Chakouba might add to public domain.

Kakching has nearly 20 thousand populations and its people are known as Lois, means outcaste, who suffer caste segregation for centuries yet the state government denied constitutional provision of Scheduled Caste/Tribe until the verdict of Supreme Court of India in 1992. Times and again the people of Kakching has faced caste discrimination and attempted to bar the constitutional provision given to Scheduled Caste/Tribes in spite of Supreme Court’s verdict.

The latest challenge face by the people of Kakching is the attempt of Manipur Government to revert Lois into Chakpa in SC/ST Presidential Order. This will not only damage the SC status benefited by the people of Kakching but the history of Manipur will be twisted.

The Citizens for Social and Justice has committed to serve and defend the interest of all Scheduled Caste/Tribes of the state, particularly against the attempt of Manipur Government to revert Chakpa as a synonym of Lois.

The Citizens for Social and Justice, (www.kakching.net) is combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students and journalists seeking to serve the interest of socially, economically and educationally backward communities of Manipur.

Released by

Madhu Chandra
Convenor,
The Citizens for Social and Justice,
Kakching, Manipur