TR Zeliang calls for unity, reconciliation and stronger bonds among Naga communities at the Metümnyo festival celebration in Kohima.
DIMAPUR — Metümnyo, one of the most celebrated and cherished festivals of the Yimkhiung community, was celebrated at RCEMPA, Jotsoma, Kohima, on Saturday.
The festival was organised by the Yimkhiung Union Kohima.
According to a DIPR report, Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang, who attended the celebration, said festivals were more than occasions of celebration, describing them as living expressions of “our identity and our shared heritage.”
He said Metümnyo, celebrated after the millet harvest, was a reminder of the Yimkhiung people’s rich culture, resilience and deep connection with nature.
Zeliang also welcomed the recent strengthening of ties between the Yimkhiung and Zeliang communities, describing the development as a significant milestone.
He said such initiatives helped build trust and lasting bonds that would benefit not only the two tribes but the Naga family as a whole.
He noted that Metümnyo was a festival of thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, but said its significance extended beyond the harvest from the fields.
According to him, the festival also symbolised the “harvest of our lives”—the joy and contentment that come from living in harmony with families, neighbours and communities.
The deputy chief minister said the festival should inspire people to sow the seeds of unity, kindness, hard work and compassion so that they could continue to reap rich harvests not only in their fields but also in their homes, society and relationships.
Referring to increasing fragmentation in Naga society, Zeliang said festivals served as reminders of the importance of coming together.
He stressed that diversity should be treated as strength rather than a weakness and called for stronger bonds among tribes and communities instead of allowing differences to widen.
He urged the people to celebrate Metümnyo with renewed determination to build bridges rather than barriers and work together towards a peaceful, prosperous and united Nagaland.
Advisor Kuzholuzo Nienu and president of the Angami Public Organisation, Thejao Vihienuo, also greeted the Yimkhiung community and spoke on the occasion.
Metümnyo, which signifies the “feast of spirit”, is a time of thanksgiving and community renewal, as well as a period to bid farewell to departed souls and welcome newborn babies.
The festival also holds significance as a time for forgiveness and open reconciliation, when past mistakes are addressed and friendships are rebuilt.