Men folk of Lotha community dance during the Tokhu Emong, a post harvest festival of the Lotha tribe at Dimapur, on November 7. The post harvest festival celebrated by the Lotha Naga invokes the blessing of god for an abundant harvest and mark the end of harvesting of crops. (Photo/Caisii Mao)
The Kyong community of Dimapur today celebrated the gift of life, of harvest and all blessings in being a brotherhood, a community and a people and sharing in retrospection of who they as a people can give more to the progress of the state and the peoples they are a part of.
Thousands from the Kyong Naga tribe thronged a sun-drenched ‘state stadium’ in Dimapur October 7 to make merry in ‘Tokhu Emong,’ the principal festival of the community, where Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphu Rio was the chief guest.
Among others in attendance was Minister for Forest MC Konyak, Minister for Agriculture Dr. Chumben Murry and Minister for Soil & Water Conservation P Longon and President of Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee SI Jamir, parliamentary secretaries and members of Nagaland Legislative Assembly and senior state government officials.
‘Tokhu Emong’ is primarily a feast of harvest to mark the conclusion of activities of the community in a year and commemorative of welcome for the New Year ahead. Interestingly, the festival also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Lotha Hoho of Dimapur. The Kyong ‘hoho’ was the first tribal organization formed in Dimapur, said Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
Stating that the Kyong Naga is one of the leading Naga tribes, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio urged the community to promote and forest peace amongst the people and in the state. “You need to foster peace if you want to celebrate festivals.’
The chief minister acknowledged the Kyong Nagas as one of the ‘leading’ Naga tribes. ‘You have the highest literacy rates and per capita income and promote the society; let us have peace so we can continue to celebrate more festivals in the land of festivals,” Neiphiu Rio said
“Let this celebrate ignite more enthusiasm in the years to come; ignite enthusiasm to harvest even more,” chief minister Neiphiu Rio told the community. ‘Yours is a land of plenty; you have oil deposits; hydro potential; you have more and have even more.”
As is a tradition, community revelry highlighted the event. Cultural groups from various sections of the city’s Kyong populace sang and danced to celebrate the harvest of the year; dedicating hopes for the New Year; felicitations for the community’s pioneers leaders and citizens.
The community also shared in retrospection over the progress the Kyong Naga community has made over the decades in the field of economy, politics and society and in the recent times, their role and place in the larger aspirations of Nagaland and the Nagas.
“Culture is a resource; some of the values of tradition have to be discarded; some of the traditions have to be valued,” Minister for Agriculture Dr. Chumben Murry told the gathered mass. “As we celebrate 50 years and Tokhu Emong, the question now is: where are we going to be in (year) 2036; what legacy would we have left for our people and society in the next 50 years?”
The theme of unity and sense of brotherhood with one and all characterized the appeal of the Kyong leaders who spoke during the main function. Parliamentary Secretary for Border Affairs Yanthungo Patton challenged the community to use unity as good, productive and enriching ‘weapon’ to build the community. Addressing the people in Kyong, the parliamentary secretary appealed to the tribe to keep reminded that peaceful existence with one and neighbor, tribe and community is itself strength. This strength would take the tribe forward, and in the process take the state and peoples ahead.
Thousands from the Kyong Naga tribe thronged a sun-drenched ‘state stadium’ in Dimapur October 7 to make merry in ‘Tokhu Emong,’ the principal festival of the community, where Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphu Rio was the chief guest.
Among others in attendance was Minister for Forest MC Konyak, Minister for Agriculture Dr. Chumben Murry and Minister for Soil & Water Conservation P Longon and President of Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee SI Jamir, parliamentary secretaries and members of Nagaland Legislative Assembly and senior state government officials.
‘Tokhu Emong’ is primarily a feast of harvest to mark the conclusion of activities of the community in a year and commemorative of welcome for the New Year ahead. Interestingly, the festival also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Lotha Hoho of Dimapur. The Kyong ‘hoho’ was the first tribal organization formed in Dimapur, said Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
Stating that the Kyong Naga is one of the leading Naga tribes, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio urged the community to promote and forest peace amongst the people and in the state. “You need to foster peace if you want to celebrate festivals.’
The chief minister acknowledged the Kyong Nagas as one of the ‘leading’ Naga tribes. ‘You have the highest literacy rates and per capita income and promote the society; let us have peace so we can continue to celebrate more festivals in the land of festivals,” Neiphiu Rio said
“Let this celebrate ignite more enthusiasm in the years to come; ignite enthusiasm to harvest even more,” chief minister Neiphiu Rio told the community. ‘Yours is a land of plenty; you have oil deposits; hydro potential; you have more and have even more.”
As is a tradition, community revelry highlighted the event. Cultural groups from various sections of the city’s Kyong populace sang and danced to celebrate the harvest of the year; dedicating hopes for the New Year; felicitations for the community’s pioneers leaders and citizens.
The community also shared in retrospection over the progress the Kyong Naga community has made over the decades in the field of economy, politics and society and in the recent times, their role and place in the larger aspirations of Nagaland and the Nagas.
“Culture is a resource; some of the values of tradition have to be discarded; some of the traditions have to be valued,” Minister for Agriculture Dr. Chumben Murry told the gathered mass. “As we celebrate 50 years and Tokhu Emong, the question now is: where are we going to be in (year) 2036; what legacy would we have left for our people and society in the next 50 years?”
The theme of unity and sense of brotherhood with one and all characterized the appeal of the Kyong leaders who spoke during the main function. Parliamentary Secretary for Border Affairs Yanthungo Patton challenged the community to use unity as good, productive and enriching ‘weapon’ to build the community. Addressing the people in Kyong, the parliamentary secretary appealed to the tribe to keep reminded that peaceful existence with one and neighbor, tribe and community is itself strength. This strength would take the tribe forward, and in the process take the state and peoples ahead.
