TUENSANG, NOVEMBER 29 (MExN): The state government calling on the celebrated Village Guards to stand in for the cultural troupes from the eastern bloc has been likely checkmated.
On November 28, the Home Department called on the Village Guards (VGs) to perform at the Statehood Day celebration on December 1 and also at the Hornbill Festival site— the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama. To that effect, a letter from the Home Commissioner directed the Commissioner to make arrangements for deputing the VGs to perform, in their respective traditional attires, representing the Konyak, Chang, Sangtam, Phom, Khiamniungan, Yimkhiung and Tikhir.
The move was countered by a directive from the Eastern Naga Students’ Federation and Eastern Nagaland Women’s Organisation prohibiting the VGs from displaying any cultural item representing the 7 tribes that makes up the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation.
The two organisations, in a joint statement on November 29, informed that the VGs may perform but not on behalf of any of the 7 tribes. It said that they have no objection to the participation of the VGs as government employees during the Statehood Day. However, “They can participate only in their official uniform and not in Traditional Cultural attire as demanded,” it said, while the VG personnel were directed “not to display any Cultural items of the 7 tribes of Eastern Nagas, presentation of cultural songs and dances and use of Morungs allotted to the seven tribes of Eastern Nagas at Kisama as it is totally prohibited as per ENPO-CEC resolution(s),” of October 14 and November 16.
It further cautioned against the display of “any cultural items belonging to seven tribes of Eastern Nagaland during the entire Hornbill Festival under any circumstances” by any individual, group, organisation or government agency. “In the event of failure, the two organisations will have no option but to initiate stringent action against the defaulters.”
