IMPHAL, December 11: The first ever district level ‘Barak Festival, 2013’under the theme ‘Oneness’ was kicked off amidst fanfare today at the public ground in Senapati district head quarter.
The two days long festival organised by the Naga People’s Organisation (NPO) is purely an inter tribe cultural exchange event in promoting message of peace.
Marking the beginning of the festival a traditional fire making competition of five units of NPO was held followed by indigenous string instrument performances by elders from different tribes settling in the Senapati district besides musical and cultural dances were also performed by different groups.
Many tribe leaders, civil body’s representatives; religious leaders, Brigadier of 59 mountain brigade, Ajay Singh Negi others ranks of the army personnel also attended the inaugural function.
Moreover, president of the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills; Simon Khongsai; president Kuki Women Union, Nenghat Kipgen and president Tenyimi People’s Organisation (TPO) also attended as special invitees.
Addressing the gathering, NPO president, ML Markson, divulged that the festival was organised to promote peace, unity and communal harmony among different tribes and communities residing in the district.
The festival is dedicated to seeking divine blessing for bountiful harvest and tranquillity in the district and the state, he added.
Maintaining that the its aims and objectives was to strengthen the bond of unity and fraternity, the NPO also aiming to enrich the cultural values, traditional heritage, protect causes of women and youths, asserted the NPO president.
Meanwhile, expressing his serious concern over the cancellation of the census of 2001 and 2011 for three sub-divisions which included Mao-Maram, Paomata and Purul, claimed that it has affected all political and economical benefits to the people of the three administrative blocks.
Further he lamented that the denial of justice to the district has also caused colossal setback in the development purposes lacking behind other districts in Manipur.
Despite the apathy of the State Government over the issue, the NPO is determined to achieve the people’s goal of including the sub-division in the National Provisional Census at all cost adding that NPO president appealed all organisations, groups and society to abstain from hampering any initiatives of the Union and State Government to implement programmes and projects in the district.