Imphal (PIB): Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda on Wednesday lauded the tribal people of the State for keeping alive culture and tradition inherited from their forefathers.
The Union Minister was addressing the closing function of the two-day 5th State level Hun festival of the Thadou tribe of the state held at Thomas Ground of Kangpokpi district on Wednesday.
The Hun Festival is one of the biggest festivals of the Thadou community. During the festival celebrated at the start of a year, the community offers prayers for a fruitful year ahead.The young children pray before their grandparents seeking their blessings are one of the important features of the festival.
“You keep alive your culture and tradition. I am so happy as you keep your tradition and language intact,” he told the tribal people attending the closing function. He said that tribal people are leading a happy life anywhere they live. “The happiness is so high among the tribe. You can’t purchase happiness from a market”.
To carry on this kind of lifestyle by the tribal people, the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was working with best effort to protect and preserve the culture and tradition of the tribal people including their dialects, he said.From the Central government side also, various schemes and projects are being implemented for the welfare and uplifting the living standard of the tribal people across the country, he added.
The Union Minister said that the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been giving special emphasis on preserving the culture and tradition of the tribal people across the country. In the New Education Policy framed by the Central, special chapters highlighting the cultural heritages of the tribal are also included, he added.
The Union Minister then urged the tribal people to protect and preserve their cultures and dialects while asserting the culture is the identity.
Union Minister of State for Education & External Affairs RK Ranjan, who also attended the closing function as Guest of Honour, said that Thadou is one of the biggest communities and has lived in Manipur since ancient times and their culture and tradition have many similarities with other ethnic communities including Meitei living together in the State.
“We must celebrate our sister festivals by inviting and respecting other ethnic communities,” the Union Minister said. In his address as President of the function, Tribal Affairs & Hills Minister Letpao Haokip termed the Hun as one of the biggest festivals of the Thadou community. During the festival celebrated at the start of a year, the community offers prayers for a fruitful year ahead, he added.
The closing event was also attended by Corporation Minister Nemcha Kipgen and MLA S Kunjakeshwore among others.
Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda arrived in Imphal on Tuesday on a two-day visit to the State. On day one of this official tour, the Union Minister had launched a new Central tribal oriented scheme “Marketing and Logistics Development for Promotion of Tribal Products from North-Eastern Region (PTP-NER)” in the presence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh here in Imphal.
The Union Minister also reviewed various tribal welfare schemes being implemented in the State with the officials of the concerned departments of the State Government on the same day.
