Luira Phanit
A cultural troupe performs at the Luira Phanit (seed sowing festival) of Tankhul community in Dimapur on Friday. Image credit - Bhadra Gogoi

Call for unity and friendship among various Naga tribes reverberated at the Luira Phanit, the seed sowing festival of the Tankhul community at Dimapur on Friday.

The festival was organized at the Nagaland Bamboo Resource Centre, Sovima in Dimapur.

The festival, organised by the Tangkhul Union Dimapur on the theme ‘strengthening cultural bonds’, saw the participation of leaders of different Naga tribes.

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation president T. Kekongchim said though the Nagas are placed under different administrative units, yet they share a common cultural bond and this “uniqueness” is known by the whole world.

He said the Nagas, in the present context, are living in confinement and surrounded by tribal attitude, which has led to ‘disunity’.

Kekongchim said it is time for the Nagas to bury the past mistakes to build a bright future for the generations to come.

“We boast ourselves as ‘unique’ but disunity amongst us is our greatest enemy. We call ourselves warriors but if we cannot admit our mistakes, then we are not true warriors,” he said.

“Let’s do away with minor differences and sow the seed of unity and friendship among ourselves,” Kekongchim appealed.

A cultural troupe performs at the Luira Phanit (seed sowing festival) of Tankhul community in Dimapur on Friday. Image credit – Bhadra Gogoi
A cultural troupe performs at the Luira Phanit (seed sowing festival) of Tankhul community in Dimapur on Friday. Image credit – Bhadra Gogoi

Tangkhul Naga Long president Hopingson A. Shimray, quoting from the book of Colossians 3:13, said the Tangkhul leaders have decided to embark on meeting their counterparts of other tribes in Nagaland to establish tribe to tribe relationship and reach out to all for brotherhood this year.

“As Christians, we need to introspect and seek forgiveness so that we remain as brothers,” he added.

Tenyimia People Organisation president Timikha Koza said: “If we sow good seeds, then we can expect a good harvest. My message to the young people is looking for good seeds, sow good seeds for a good harvest. Don’t expect a good harvest without good work.”

Ao Senden president Chubawati Longchar also called for unity among the Nagas.

Highlights of the event included a folk song by Patkai Christian College Tangkhul Students’ Union, cultural presentations by Sumi Tsükoli Club, Zuve Cultural Club, and Tangkhul cultural troupe.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]