Will consult village chiefs on land survey: CM
Hun Thadou Festival underway, April 7 declared restricted holiday
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 18 2023: Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday inaugurated the two-day 5th State Level HUN Thadou Cultural Festival, 2023 at Thomas Ground, Kangpok pi, by releasing balloons and 'Sinkhup' after the traditional ritual offerings of the Thadou tribe.

The CM also released a souvenir in connection with the festival which is being celebrated under the theme 'Drug-free society' and the motto, "My Culture, My Identity", while further declaring April 7 as restricted holiday.

Addressing the gathering, CM Biren said that the present government is people centric and it works under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantras of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas' and 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'.

Further informing that the chiefs of villages will be consulted before checking, measuring and recording the total land areas of villages; he urged all to save and preserve the forest covers, screen illegal immigrants and stop poppy cultivation, while further appealing to all communities of the state to live together unitedly.

During the last six years, the government has called for preservation of our identities and drug free society, he said, while further highlighting that it is the present government which has built traditional huts of all 35 communities at the Sangai Ethnic Park at Moirang Khunou.

This is in recognition and respect of all the different communities residing together in the state, he added.

"This is how the BJP Government is the people's Government," he said and urged the people not to be misled by some people with vested interests trying to project the BJP government as sectarian.

Manipur is made up of various communities residing together and this is the beauty of Manipur and the beauty of India, he said.

Further highlighting that there are over one lakh drug abusers in the state, Biren affirmed that he will continue to fight for total eradication of illegal drugs and stop poppy cultivation in the state.

As the chief minister of the state, his call is to stop illegal drugs business, poppy cultivation, and deforestation, Biren maintained.

The CM further stressed on steps being taken up in the state by the government and highlighted schemes like CMHT and PMJAY.

He added that in the last cabinet meeting, the government decided to launch the 'Manipur One Family One Livelihood Scheme', under which anyone from a family with no source of income can apply for a loan of Rs 10 lakh with 30 percent grant, provided the beneficiary is within the age of 65 years.

An amount of Rs 100 crore had been allocated in the budget for the same, he informed.

Biren also highlighted the need to screen illegal immigrants from entering the state, so that they do not eat into the share of the indigenous communities.

He added that a cabinet sub-committee has been formed with Tribal Affairs & Hills minister Letpao Haokip as the chairman, along with Water Resources minister Awangbow Newmai and Education minister Th Basanta Singh, to identify illegal immigrants who fled from strife-torn Myanmar and to set up temporary shelter homes for them so that they can return back to their countiy again.

Stating that Thadou is one of the biggest communities which has been living in Manipur since time immemorial; the CM also appreciated All Manipur Christian Association for their declaration to fight against the drug menace and poppy cultivation in the state.

Urging the people of Kangpokpi to take a pledge against illegal drugs and poppy cultivation, Biren said that the people of the district will soon get to see some positive changes in the fight to eradicate drugs.

He informed that a drug de-addiction centre has been opened in Churachandpur district to help drug users to return to the mainstream society The CM also lauded the organisers of the festival for celebrating the festival under the theme "Drug-free society" .

In her presidential speech, Commerce and Industries minister Nemcha Kipgen said that the Hun Festival is one of the biggest festivals of the Thadou community.

During the festival celebrated at the start of a year, the community offers prayers for a fruitful year ahead.

An important feature of this festival is that the young children pray before their grandparents seeking their blessings, she said.

The minister further highlighted on the theme of the festival "Drug-free Society", stressing that it is important to start from the children i.e., guiding them from a young age to make our society drug free.

She wished that the festival will take an important role in making the state a drug free society and bring more peace and unity among the communities of the state.

Hun 2023 Celebration chairman Ngamkhohao Haokip said that Hun is the most important festival of all festivals of the Thadou people, the second largest tribe in the state of Manipur.

Hun, according to the Thadou, etymologically signifies time and season.

The 'time' here significantly encompasses something of the entire cosmology-from earth to heaven, death to life, and all the affairs of man and his spirituality.

Hun is an archaic but formal form of time in the above sense of the language, he added.

He also said that Hun, which is celebrated for seven days, is more than a cultural festival, it is a civilising act of the Thadous and it is the custom, the culture, the religious affairs, and the greatest occasion for almost everything in the social, religious, and political life of the Thadou Tribe.

On their arrival to the festival venue, the chief minister and other dignitaries were accorded a warm traditional welcome by the people of Kangpokpi.

Traditional songs and dances marked the opening session of the festival.

YAS minister Konthoujam Govindas attended the opening session as guest of honour, minister Letpao Haokip as chief host and ex-minister and Thadou Students' Association founder secretary general Chungkhokai Doungel as the Hun Pa; while Education minister Th Basanta Singh, Oinam MLA Irengbam Nalini Devi, Saikul MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing, Tamenglong MLA Janghemlung Panmei, BJP secretary (organisation) Abhay Giri, Manipur Khadi and Village Industries Board chairman N Nimbus, and ADC Sadar Hills chairman Haokholal Hangshing were present as special guests, along with Thanlon MLA Vungzagin Valte, DGP P Doungel, village chiefs and youth leaders, among others.

Mister and Miss Thadou beauty contests, folk songs, dance and music, modern songs, tastes of Thadou cuisines, Thadou Handloom and Handicrafts, Thadou indigenous games and sports, and Thadou traditional attires will be the main highlights of the two-day-long event.

Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu will attend the festival as a showstopper of the fashion parade to be presented by international designer Robert Naorem on Wednesday.

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