Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 27
This year’s Hornbill Festival is going to be different and better, and will lay emphasis on a sustainable environment, officials of the Nagaland Tourism department, the nodal unit which organizes the ten-day annual cultural event, said today.
“Hornbill Festival is not only a ten-day carnival to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state but it is also a reflection of what Nagaland is,” says C Apok Jamir, the parliamentary secretary Tourism.
Addressing a press conference at the directorate of Tourism this evening, the legislator remarked that despite constraints in resources, the department is giving its best to ensure that the lacunae in the past are covered and redressed for this year’s edition of the ‘Festival of Festivals’ to be carried out in the best possible manner.
When asked on the budget being set aside for the festival this year, Jamir said the budget has not been concretised, nevertheless, the department is trying to manage with what is available to them. He refused to divulge further.
Pointing out that some misconceptions are arising out of construction of traditional gates from Dimapur to Kohima, the parliamentary secretary informed that these are part of something new that are being introduced for Hornbill Festival this year. He explained that 16 gates representing the 16 recognized tribes are being put up from Dimapur Airport till Kisama, in alphabetical order, to welcome visitors. All the gates will have the word ‘welcome’ inscribed in each of the 16 tribal languages, he informed. “This is to show that all the 16 tribes are part and parcel of this event,” he said.
Jamir also stated that the department, concerned deeply with environment degradation, has declared the Naga Heritage Village site a ‘No Plastic Zone’ and is emphasizing the use of biodegradable materials such as areca plates, bamboo plates and cups and other eco-friendly materials during the festival.
Stating that the festival is an attempt to project the different ways and culture of the different cultural tribes, he said the event this year will be made as traditional as possible, considering the criticism that was received the previous year for the inaugural function.
On the apparent disapproval from various quarters barbing the state government on spending huge amount of money on the annual event, Jamir maintained that people should not look at the expenditure aspect but on the impact that the festival is generating.
Jamir, a Congress legislator who recently merged with the ruling NPF party, asserted that he would try to improve the department as per what he had observed as a member of the opposition bench. Towards this, he mentioned that a tourism policy for the state is in the process of being formulated. He highlighted that in a compact but culturally diverse state like Nagaland, tourism is an area that has a huge economic potentiality. For this, he batted for promotion of rural tourism, eco-tourism etc and the need to encourage communitization and sensitization of the rural populace as well.
Asked whether the department has charted any strategy to streamline the inflow of tour operators from outside bringing their clients bypassing the local tour operators, he stated that a networking of the local operators and those beyond the state is needed.
Meanwhile, he made it clear that though the tourism department is the nodal agency for organising the Hornbill Festival, there are many other contributing departments such as the Art & Culture, Music Task Force, PHED, Power etc. and he further acknowledged their different roles.
Meanwhile, department officials informed that the festival this year will have a number of high-profiled visitors including Union Minister of MHRD Smriti Irani and other central officials, and a number of foreign delegates including those from the French and British consulates.
On the number of tourists expected this year to the Hornbill Festival, secretary for tourism department, Angau Thou said last year there was an estimated 1,70,000 tourists including foreign, domestic and locals, and this year more visitors are expected. The official also clarified that the department has proposed for a “dress code” for its officials and staff during the ten-day festival, to wear at least a piece of traditional attire to showcase the rich traditions of the Nagas. This is not a general directive, she said, while mentioning that the department officials have put up the matter to the Chief Secretary on the possibility of extending this to other departments. However, no response has been intimated yet and the directive is still confined to tourism department only, she stated.
Director Tourism Purakhu Angami, assistant director KT Thomas, and Music Task Force PD Gugs Chishi were also present at the press conference.
Union Minister of State for Tourism & Culture and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma will be gracing the Nagaland Statehood Day-cum-inaugural function of the 10-day annual Hornbill Festival 2015 on December 1 at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama.
The Union Minister of State will be attending the event as the guest of honour. Chief Minister TR Zeliang will be the chief host of the occasion and parliamentary secretary for Tourism C Apok Jamir will be the host, while Governor PB Acharya will be the chief guest.
As per the formal programme schedule handed out by the state Tourism department today to the press, the inaugural function will commence with a traditional blessing pronounced by the Angh of Longchang village, Y Phonlong and Sky Entertainment will be presenting ‘Unity’ as a mark of inaugural celebrations. The four dignitaries will deliver brief addresses and the festival will kick off under the theme ‘Culturally Yours’.
