Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 14
Liyai Khullen village (Poumai) celebrated its village 100th year Naga Labour Corps to France with Minister for PHED, Printing & Stationery, Government of Manipur L. Dikho as the chief guest and Naga Hoho president P. Chuba Ozukum as the guest of honour at Liyai khullen village under Senapati district Manipur on May 12.
Dikho in his address lauded the organizing committee and the village for organizing the grand programme in honour of those brave 32 persons from village. He said in term of village wise, Liyai Khullen village sent the maximum number of persons from the district, walking from village till Dimapur was the sign of great sacrifice, pride and achievement for the whole village.
He advised the villagers to celebrate 100th years of labour Corps to France with vision and purpose to produce many leaders from the village to lead the society, as the village has set good example of sending maximum persons to France. He asked the village to plan and strive for alleviating economic status of the village for standard and better life. The Minister challenged the parents to invest their children in quality education and encourage to join in civil services and other allied services. He also emphasized the importance of preserving flora and fauna in the village and asked the village leaders to make plan to attract tourist in the village to generate revenue and improve economic status of the people. He called upon the village to change the wrong traditional mindset of inviting MLA or minister as chief guest during festival or special occasion alone, but inform or invite the concern MLA to visit or inspect for any necessary developmental activities in the particular area.
He urged the village youth organization to take up initiative of planting trees on the roadsides for beautification and attraction of tourist. He said the 2-lane road project from Tadubi- Ukhrul with the total cost of Rs. 1500 crores would be taken shortly and urged the landowners to cooperate with the government for early completion. He gave assurance that all the villages under his Kendra would be blacktopped in his tenure and sought the public cooperation to fulfil the aim.
Ozukum in his address said those days sending labour corps to France was a great sacrifice as it sent with great pained and worries which was thousand miles away from home. He reminded the gathering that the selected persons to go France were intelligent, brave, physically fit and strong. He recalled that as per the statement of the forefathers many Naga labour corps died on the way to France and on returning back due to various diseases.
He reminded the gathering that sending Naga Labour Corps to France during 1917 was a blessing in disgust as their retuning back from France, the Nagas learnt and realized the need of unity which was an eye opener for the Nagas to come together and formed the historic Naga club and submitted the first memorandum to Simon commission in 1929 to the British government for Naga sovereignty and independent.
Speaking on the protracted Naga political issue, Ozukum called upon the various sections of Nagas to come together leaving aside differences. He stressed the need to live together peacefully with the Naga neighbours. He also shared the latest ongoing Naga political peace process and its development with the centre government.
Earlier, the chief guest and guest honour unveiled the monolith where all the 32 labour corps names from the village were engraved in the stone and also planted tree sapling. The village chief D. Paoyu invoked the traditional blessing before unveiling the monolith.
The programme moderators were H. Veisho and B. Nakhi Lucy Ramai while welcome address delivered by chairman Liyai khullen Th. Thaiso Titus. Chief guest released Chi Khahlibvii book “casket of treasured word.” Vote of thanks was proposed by secretary Liyai khullen V. Yi James.
It may be mentioned that Liyai Khullen village is the biggest village of Poumai community which sent the highest number of persons (32) to France as Naga labour corps in 1918 where only 30 persons returned back home. When the labour corps returned back the villagers accorded them with high status. Convenor organizing committee P. Sapunii Neopu took years to collect all the details of the labour corps and brainchild of organizing the celebration.
