Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Jan. 13: The Kachari community celebrated its post-harvest festival Aai Sagi on Jan. 13 organised by Aai Sagi Festival Celebration Committee (ASFCC) of the Mech Kachari Public Organisation (MKPO) at Purana Bazar ‘B’ village’s playground in Dimapur.
The president of the Indigenous Minority Tribes (IMT) of Nagaland K Lun Tungnung attended the event as its chief guest.
In his address, Tungnung said minority tribes in Nagaland constitute the IMT. They are the Garo, Mikhir, Kuki and Kachari, who ‘equally deserve backward quota’ in the state but have noone to fight for their rights, he said.
“People seek the minority tribes only during election period. It is universal that the mighty ones oppress the weaker section; however the weaker sections are also accountable to fight back for their rights,” Tungnung said.
‘How long can we remain oppressed. We will live and die in Nagaland. We are loved by the Nagas. The only setback is the minority communities do not come out of our isolation which is the reason our existence is overlooked,’ he exhorted.
Tungnung on the occasion asserting ‘truth is the best defence’, called on the community to safeguard their identity to survive, and retell the history to fight for the rights.
The president of the Kachari Tribal Council of Nagaland Ramesh Hasnu reminded the community that Aai Sagi festival was being observed ‘to safeguard the Kachari community’s identity and offering gratitude to the deities for a plentiful harvest.’ As far as possible, Hasnu said, ‘We should celebrate this festival annually preserving our tradition and identity.’
“We should maintain diplomatic relationship within our surrounding and take pleasure in other communities’ festival which will ultimately help us build cordial relationship,” Hasnu said.
Also, the community leader remarked that being a citizen of Nagaland ‘we are aware of our situation.’ The situation will change day by day and ‘we should live with adjustment’ living by the maxim ‘survival of the fittest while struggling for one’s existence,’ he told the gathering.
