Our Correspondent
IMPHAL,January 20
The United Naga Council (UNC) appealed to the general public to extend fullest support and co-operation to the call of State Level Organising Committee (SLOC) for the upcoming Lui-Ngai-Ni, 2016. The Lui-Ngai-Ni, the Naga Seed Sowing Festival has been celebrated on every 15th February every year by the 16 Naga tribes of Manipur and it was given official recognition on December 24, 1986 and also declared the day as state holiday and in 1997, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has also listed “Lui-Ngai-Ni” as one of the tourist festival of India.
“Lui-Ngai-Ni is celebrated in Naga Districts on rotational basis and this years’ Lui-Ngai-Ni- 2016 will be hosted by the Tangkhul Naga Long at district headquarter, Ukhrul,” says General secretary S Milan of UNC in a release. “The festival will be participated by thousands of Naga delegates with colorful festivity.”
This year, State Level Lui-Ngai-Ni Festival will be celebrated for 2 days on February 14 and 15. Many delegates from foreign countries, outside the state and many more delegates from various communities are coming to participate the festival as February 13 become the arrival date.
Cultural Folk Dances and songs, Traditional attire display, Naga artist and renowned artist from different parts of the country will entertain this year festival.
UNC Vice President TS Warngam has been appointed convenor while the Presidet of All Naga Students Association Seth Shatsang as Co-Convenor of the SLOC Lui-Ngai-Ni 2016, as per the UNC Presidential Council Meeting held on October 29 last year at UNC Office,the release added.The General Secretary Naga Women Union W Asha was also appointed as member secretary while UNC Finance Secretary K Kaikho as treasurer of SLOC.
Meanwhile many organisations have greeted the zeliangrong community with the arrival of Gaan Ngai festival in Manipur.The Gaan Ngai festival which is the biggest living religious and cultural festival of the Zeliangrong community following the Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak religion will be celebrated with all its religious and ritualistic fervour starting from January 22 and will continue till January 28.The celebration committee of the festival in a statement signed by its president, Poudongai Kamson has appealed to all concerned civil organizations against imposing bandhs/ Blockades or strikes. It said that the State-level Gaan-Ngai Celebration Committee is organizing the festival at Maibam Kabui Khun near Nambol Bazar in Bishnupur District and this committee has been organizing the festival at the state level since 2003 and all and anyone is requested to kindly attend this festival and make it a grand success.
