‘GPRN/NSCN’ celebrates Tuluni at Khehoi Camp
Dimapur, July 7 (MExN): ‘Tuluni’, the premiere annual festival of the Sumi was celebrated with great pomp at Khehoi, the designated camp of the “GPRN/NSCN” on Tuesday, July 7. The ‘ato kilonser’ of the “GPRN/NSCN”, N Kitovi Zhimomi, graced the celebrations as the chief guest.
The ‘ato kilonser’ in his speech focused on the significance of the festival. He urged the gathering to maintain peace and brotherhood, not only among the Sumi but with people belonging to other tribes and communities as well. Highlighting the significance of Tuluni, Kitovi asserted that the festival is a time to create social harmony among the people. He encouraged the gathering to extend a hand of friendship to others as the festival is mainly to build relations with people. “Give out an olive branch to your enemies also,” he said.
Besides, the gathering was treated to an array of Sumi traditional dances, songs and games. ‘Spear kicking’, a traditional game of the Sumi was played out with young men from nearby villages in the area competing against one another. The goal of the game is attempting to kick the highest point of a spear – vertically measured with a pointer – with both legs in the air.
A competition on making fire the traditional way without matches was also held in which couples from nearby villages actively took part. The highlight of the festivities was the meat (pork) eating competition in which competing men had to take as many bites as he can, off chunks of meat. The man with the most number of bites was chosen the winner. Tradition has it that in the olden days, during ‘Tuluni’, a Sumi man in order to ask a woman’s hand in marriage had to eat a piece of meat (the fat) to prove his merit in front of his beloved.
