Preparations underway for the Eastern Naga Students’ Federation cultural fiesta cum general conference at Parade Ground in Tuensang town. (Morung Photo)
Moses Hongang Chang
Tuensang | April 14
The Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) will host its Triennial Cultural Fiesta and General Conference, themed “deliverance through ethnicity concord” at Parade Ground, Tuensang town from April 15 to 17.
This event is a homecoming of cultures from across the borders of present-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Myanmar. Representing the eight eastern Naga communities - Chang, Konyak, Sangtam, Yimkhiung, Phom, Khiamniungan, Tikhir and Eastern Sumi, the event serves as a collective reminder of ancestral unity.
“This is a space where our youth will not only witness the beauty of their identity but also be challenged to carry it forward, adapted to their times,” an ENSF member shared, standing near the open field that will soon become a confluence of cultures.
The cultural festival will open with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio as chief guest.
The Fusion Nite will be graced by Abu Metha, Advisor to the Chief Minister and Chairman of the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN). Achievers’ Night will honour trailblazers from the region, with N Jacob Zhimomi, Minister of PHED and Cooperation, as chief guest, joined by Advisor H Sethrongkyu. In the spirit of sportsmanship, Keoshu Yimkhiung, Advisor for Youth Resources and Sports, will grace the Games & Sports segment, while a community marathon with Y Hejila, Project Director of DRDA Tuensang as the Marathon Guest.
The festival will close with Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton as chief guest at the valedictory function, accompanied by MLA Imtichoba Chang.
It is believed that with many participants travelling on foot from remote villages, often for days, the journey itself becomes a ritual of commitment. The ENSF believes the event will strengthen India’s “Act East Policy” by enhancing cross-border Naga ties and paving the way for greater cultural diplomacy. But more urgently, it seeks to bridge the gaps between Eastern Nagaland’s past and its aspirations.
“Culture can do what politics sometimes can’t, it heals, it reminds, and it builds,” said an elder from the Khiamniungan Naga community while observing a group of young volunteers preparing for a traditional wrestling demonstration.
