Mokokchung, May 1 (EMN): As sowing of seeds in the fields are completed, the Ao Naga tribe on Monday began its post-sowing festival –Moatsu Mong across Mokokchung district.
In Mokokchung village, the festival was celebrated with much fervour as communities from ENPO, Sumis, in-laws of the villages and surrounding villages joint the feast organized by Riongsanger Putu Menden (village council), Mokokchung village with former minister Dr Ngangshi K Ao as the chief host and Er L Senti Jamir, SE PWD as the main speaker.
The speaker, Er L Senti Jamir while dwelling on the feast’s theme, "unity and progress,” said the unity of a group or community was the biggest strength, and no power on earth could be compared with unity.
However, he lamented that today in many Ao villages unity was fading away because of the ‘serious matter on ancestral origin and lineages, arch rivalry among different political groups’. The engineer asserted that such atmosphere was destroying the very social fabric of understanding and relationship among the people.
In this regard, Jamir said, dwelling on the past won't bring any changes for the people or the society but rather they should be able to exhibit 'yimli' (spirit of forgiveness).
In the context of progress, he said that a society that depends for everything on others cannot be progressive while lamenting that Nagaland was the first on the list with 92.5 percent dependency rate in the country.
On half of (Ao) in-laws, Toko Tatung from Arunachal Pradesh spok during the event. He stated that introduction of Panchayati Raj in India was a failure. He said that after its introduction, the social fabric that bound people together in the village has been destroyed by the election system.
A Sumi man in traditional gear presenting a warrir dance during the celebration.
In this regard, he lauded the Mokokchung village for safeguarding the age old traditional 'Putu Menden' (village council) system. He also urged the Mokokchung Putu Menden (village council) to continue safeguarding ‘the institution’.
Short speeches were also delivered by Dr Ngangshi Ao and Kilangmeren, chairman Anentsubo sector Mokokchung village.
Earlier in the program, the colour of Moatsu Mong was presented by cultural troupes from ENPO, Mokokchung Unit, Sumi community, Mokokchung, Aosungkum Cultural Club Mokokchung village. Folksongs were also sung by Longmisa Senso Telongjem, Mokokchung Senso Bendang alir and Moangsangba and Putimenla.
Moatsu greetings
Dimapur, May 1 (EMN): Chief minister, Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu, governor PB Acharya and the president of Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), K Therie have all extended Moatsu greetings to the Ao community.
They sent separate press releases on Monday stating said greetings to the Ao Nagas. “Dr Shürhozelie said just as the cleaning up of Tsübu (wells) and repairs and construction of houses are carried out during the festival, we need to introspect and mend the damages in our society. Being the pioneer district, the Aos have a huge responsibility in many ways to carry the Nagas to a progressive society, he said.
“He expressed his happiness over the friendship extended to the Angami community through Angami Public Organisation on the occasion of the festival this year. The seed of friendship you have sown today will definitely bear fruits tomorrow, not only between the two tribes, but among all the Naga tribes, he said,” read a CMO statement.
According to the governor: “Aluyimertem (farmers) are the ‘annadata’ (food providers) who work hard to provide for us. Let us also remember and thank them for their hard work.”
He wished that the festival of Moatsu would also bring peace, unity and prosperity to the Aos in particular and Nagas in general.
“NPCC extends warm greetings to the Ao community in this time of celebrating Moatsü, the premier festival of the community. As the festival marks the end of the hard work of the sowing season and the celebrations filled with merry making, singing and feasting, may the Almighty God bestow a rich harvest upon the community.
“Moatsü is also a time to revisit our culture and display it in the finest way to be passed on down to posterity. May it also be a time for fostering peace, goodwill, brotherhood and oneness across society”, read an NPCC greeting.
