Hornbill Festival 2019 begins
(Left)Nagaland Governor, RN Ravi and Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio ringing the traditional bong to open the 2019 edition of the Hornbill Festival. (Right) A view of the opening ceremony of the Hornbill Festival at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama on December 1. (DIPR Photo)
Governor urges people to ‘build a new Nagaland’
Our Correspondent
Kohima | December 1
The 2019 edition of the Hornbill Festival made a colorful start here today with 45, 142 visitors on day one.
The festival is an annual tourism promotional event organised by the state government. It is a cultural extravaganza to revive, protect and preserve the richness and uniqueness of the Naga heritage.
Nagaland Governor, RN Ravi and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio formally inaugurated the festival by beating the traditional gong. Aniashu Village Chief, Mongtei from the Khiamniungan community invoked the traditional blessings.
Of the 45,142 visitors on the first day of the festival, there were 407 foreign tourists, 4,954 domestic tourists and 39,781 local visitors.
Speaking as the Chief Host of the Festival, Nagaland Governor, RN Ravi stated that “a new dawn for Nagaland is breaking” and urged the two million people of the State to help build “a new Nagaland free from fear of gun and corruption, a new Nagaland based on the Foundations of transparency, accountability and rule of Law.
The Governor, who is also the Government of India’s Interlocutor for the Indo-Naga talks, urged the people to strengthen the spirit of unity so palpable during the Hornbill Festival “at this crucial juncture when the final settlement that would ensure enduring Peace is within the grasp.”
Welcoming the guests and cultural troupes, the Governor paid rich tribute to the Naga leaders who, “under extremely challenging circumstances, secured for the people, the Nagaland State with special status.” He exhorted the people not to forget the leaders who helped get Nagaland Statehood, and said that history “has not been kind to those who ignore or forget their heroes and martyrs.”
The Governor meanwhile underscored the need to “correct certain uncharitable distortions to Naga history by some colonial administrators.” He wondered how could the Naga tribes with their centuries old village republics that efficiently managed their social, economic, political and strategic needs for so long be called behind in civilization.
The Governor further stated that “unfortunately some people erroneously equate civilization with modernity” and urged scholars, especially Naga scholars to do in depth research into the rich civilizational history of the tribes of Nagaland.
