Festivals good way to preserve custom: W Raikhan
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, April 03 2022: Retired Engineer (CPWD) Wungpam Raikhan said that festivals teach youngsters about the importance of cultural practices and are thus a good way to preserve the customs.

"Let's all continue to preserve our custom and traditions.

If we ever lose them, our identity is gone," he stated while speaking as chief guest of the inaugural ceremony of Khamor Angkhui, an indigenous bread festival, at Chingjaroi village on Saturday.

Raikhan was accorded a warm welcome by the headman Solomon A Shimray and his villagers at his house.

Attired in traditional costumes, the villagers sang traditional chants as they escorted him till the festival venue as a form of honour.

Raikhan inaugurated the festival by hoisting the ceremonial flag in the presence of guest of honour advocate Wortam Azymah and other dignitaries of the ceremony.

Lauding the village for sustaining the age-old festival, he said that: "This Khamor Angkhui festival not just celebrates the unique delicacy of Tangkhul Hao Khamui, but also helps keep alive our forefathers' traditions".

Hao Khamui, as popularly known in Tangkhul dialect, is an indigenous hand baked bread made of sticky rice.

It is either boiled or oil-fried to give varied tastes.

"Festivals bring our people together; encourage them to wear traditional costumes and learn about the traditional practices followed by our forefathers," he said.

Raikhan continued that the values of traditional practices including costumes and even mother tongue should be taught at young age so that these become a part of their life.

This has become all the more important in view of the growing trend of migration of young people to metro cities.

"If customs and traditions are not taught to our young people at the right time, same thing will happen to their children.

In the following generations, their offspring would become like outlanders," he cautioned.

For the Tangkhuls, forest and its flora and fauna are an integral part of their identity and culture, he observed and added that forest has become devoid of green cover due to unrestrained human action and this has in turn triggered water scarcity problem among many villages in the district.

There is a tendency among the people to burn forest which has a far-reaching impact on the environment.

"I urge the locals, especially youngsters to think about it.

It saddened me to learn that your village is currently facing water shortage.

I urge you to find ways to preserve the forest so as to avoid catastrophic water crisis in future," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Azymah expressed concern that traditions are at stake with many youngsters neglecting its values in the present day.

He then stressed on the need for upgrading the festival at the higher level in order to promote the cultural values at the district and state levels, while calling for unity of the villagers in the interest of collective growth and progress.

In his welcome address, headman Shimray highlighted the significance of the festival.

"Khamor Angkhui is one of the biggest cultural festivals of the village.

It is not new a festival but has been celebrated by the forefathers since time immemorial." He said that the festival is celebrated as a traditional act of seeking the Almighty's blessing for the ensuing agricultural season.

"This is done by preparing the best of indigenous bread by the villagers to invite heavenly grace for a bountiful crop year," he said.

Themed 'Unity in Custom', the festival witnessed various cultural displays and will run for five days till April 6 .

On his return journey, Raikhan had a brief stop-over at Chingui CV interacted with the villagers who were also celebrating a similar festival.

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