Imphal, October 03: The Tribal Museum and Research Centre at Sagolband Bijoygovinda Akham Leikai, which remained closed for the past two years, got a new lease of life and was reopened from today.

Director of Arts and Culture Dr Kh Sorojini, noted musicologist L Birendrakumar and Joint Director of Arts and Culture Dr K Sobita attended the function as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.

Giving the welcome address at the occasion, trustee of the Tribal Museum Y Gyaneshwore said that the Museum which was established in 1995 and inaugurated by the then Minister of Tribal Development M Thohrii had to be closed down for the last two years.

But it has been re-opened after having reorganized it.

He informed the gathering that a 7 acre land has been acquired along the side of National Highway-53, some 15 kms away from capital Imphal for construction of a proper building to house the museum.

The construction work is expected to begin from April next year, he said, adding that many people have also given their assurance of extend co-operation and support toward this endeavor.

While narrating some of his experiences encountered during trip to remote parts of the State to collect materials for the museum, Gyaneshwore said different groups of people living in the State should try to respect each others culture and tradition.

Only that every one could live in peace and harmony, he observed.

Stating that one yearning desire of every tribe in the State to get due recognition from the Government, he said when he started the museum, there were only 29 recognized tribes.

But from January this year, the total number of recognized tribes in the State has increased to 33 with inclusion of Tarao, Paomei Naga, Kharam and Any Kuki tribes, ect.

Giving the chief guest address, Dr Sorojini lauded the efforts of Gyaneshwore in setting up the Museum with rare artifacts of tribal cultural collected from different parts of the State.

Such a museum would be able to make the people living in the valley area to understand and appreciate the life style of the brethren living in hill and remote areas, she hoped.

Assuring every possible help from the side of the Government in maintaining cohesive relation between the hill and plain people, the Art and Culture Director announced that a two-day workshop would be organized sometime in March next year as part of this effort.

The seminar to be organized under the sponsorship of Department of Art and Culture, Government of India aims to promote tribal culture toward enabling in writing a new history of Manipur incorporating all the officially recognized tribes as well as those yet to be recognized, Sorojini elaborated.

In his presidential speech, Birendrakumar described Manipur as a land of tribes.

Out of the total 315 tribes in India, 33 are living and thriving in Manipur.

In such a scenario promoting tribal culture amounts to preserving the identity of the State.

Dr K Sobita, who also spoke at the occasion, said that the materials being displayed at the museum are clues of being oneness among the different groups of people living in Manipur since time immemorial.

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