It’s Lui Ngai Ni!

Witoubou Newmai

Today, February 15, is an important day for the southern Nagas as they observe the seed sowing festival, Lui Ngai Ni, on this day each year. Under the banner of the United Naga Council (UNC), the southern Nagas have been celebrating this festival since 1987.


This year, the main leg of the festival is being celebrated at Tahamzam (Senapati district headquarters) under the theme, ‘Understanding through culture,’ where important organisations (from outside the Naga community) of the Meiteis, the Kukis and the Zomis are “special invitees.”


Cultural items including traditional sports and feasting are the prime motifs of the Lui Ngai Ni. The event usually starts from the previous evening and goes on till late night of February 15. At times Lui Ngai Ni is also celebrated for two days.


According to the UNC, “to rekindle the Nagas’ glorious traditions and values of the past for posterity and to preserve our unique identity, the celebration of Lui Ngai Ni through our dances, songs and rituals in today’s context is of great social significance.” Though more light needs to be shed on what the UNC means by “in today’s context,” there is not an iota of doubt that the Naga body is investing efforts to uphold the values of the Nagas in the past 30 years through the Lui Ngai Ni celebrations.


It is pertinent to mention here that there were times when Lui Ngai Ni was celebrated in the heart of Imphal. However, after the Naga-Meitei or Naga-Manipur Government relational hiccups since 1997, the Nagas started observing the festival only in the Naga areas. The tone of Lui Ngai Ni observation has also become more political and not otherwise, of late. For instance, the “severance of political ties with the Manipur Government” declared by the UNC, too, is reflected in the Lui Ngai Ni observation.


After this declaration several years ago, the UNC has stopped accepting certain funds for Lui Ngai Ni celebrations extended by the Manipur State Government. But the question rises whether the “severance of political ties with the Manipur Government” tag is being upheld in the true sense or otherwise, the people are not that insensitive to their environment.


Or, what happens when one bites more than one can chew? It is to be reminded that one is only inviting contradictions and complications if the cud-chewing does not go down well.


Whatever is the case, it is every Naga's responsibility that the Lui Ngai Ni celebration is not deviated from its core theme of “To rekindle the Nagas’ glorious traditions and values of the past for posterity…”