As per the order/notification by governor of Manipur or tourism department or works department, it is mentioned as “Shirui Festival”. If it is Shirui Festival, then, there is no point of inducting MLAs, TNL, TNWL, headman of Hungpung and Hunphun as Member of the organising committee or for that matter DC, SP, CEO etc., because it amounts to disrespecting the customary laws and practices of Tangkhul community. It also amounts to infringement of rights of Shirui village.
By Tennoson Pheiray, TFM Ukhrul Correspondent
Every Tangkhul village is a sovereign village when it comes to celebration of festival like Luira Phanit, (seed sowing festival) Dhar-reo Phanit (post harvest festival) etc and etc. No big village has the authority to impose smaller villages in fixing the date and time for celebration of any festival. Each village celebrates its festival independently. Outsiders can come and witness and be a part of the celebration but cannot take the active part in the management of the programme.
There are also community festivals, for example Lui-Ngai-Ni (seed sowing festival) for the Nagas as a whole, which is celebrated on the 14th of February every year. Likewise, the Shirui Lily State Festival has become a community festival of the Tangkhul since 2017. Before 2017, the villagers of Shirui has been observing Lily Festival at village level for many years.
With the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Government of Manipur represented by N. Ashok Kumar (IAS), Secretary (Tourism), Government of Manipur and Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) represented by HA. Shanngam and Gideon Zimik (Phungva of TNL) on 1 May 2017, the Shirui Lily Festival has become one of the biggest festivals of Tangkhul community. They agreed on the following:
1. The Shirui Lily Festival shall be observed every year in consultation with Tangkhul Naga Long and Shirui Village Authority.
2. The venue of event shall be at Shirui village and Ukhrul Headquarters only
3. In order to conserve the Shirui Lily, the State Government shall honour and respect the Customary Laws of Tangkhul Naga Long.
As mentioned earlier, each village celebrates festival independently and in their own way. Tangkhul Naga Long, even though it is the apex body of the Tangkhul community cannot interfere the celebration of a festival being observed by big or small village.
As per the order/notification by governor of Manipur or tourism department or works Department, it is mentioned as “Shirui Festival”. If it is Shirui Festival, then, there is no point of inducting MLAs, TNL, TNWL, headman of Hungpung and Hunphun as Member of the organising committee or for that matter DC, SP, CEO etc., because it amounts to disrespecting the customary laws and practices of Tangkhul community. It also amounts to infringement of rights of Shirui village. If it is a festival of a particular village, then the Governor of Manipur or any other authority has no right to constitute an organisng committee for that very village. But, if it is a State Festival, the order by the Governor of Manipur is valid and legit.
Therefore, in my limited understanding, the nomenclature should be named as “Shirui Lily State Festival” and not as “Shirui Festival”. Only then, the Governor will have the power to constitute an Organising Committee for the festival and at the same outsiders can also become a member of that committee.
Another aspect is that, the proposed budget for Shirui Lily Festival is too limited. There are reports of pending bills from the last edition of Shirui Lily Festival.
People of Ukhrul seems to have lost their enthusiasm. The Tangkhul artists are left out in the main events. They are used just to attract the crowd before the start of the programme. It appears the festival is meant only for those in the committee.
The TNL seems to have been left out. As per information recieved, TNL did not attend the first meeting of the Organising Committee held on 20 April 2022. The MoU seems to have been forgotten. Only time will tell, how it will turn out.