Two young boys dance to the rhythm of Moatsü in Süngratsü village, about 17 kilometers from Mokokchung town, May 2. Along with the rest of Ao country, the premier festival was celebrated with much pomp and gaiety in Süngratsü. The festival was organized jointly by the Süngratsü Village Council and the Süngratsü Students’ Union (SSU) as part of SSU’s yearlong Platinum Jubilee Celebration (1936-2011) with Naiba Konyak, Parliamentary Secretary Youth Resources & Sports and Land Revenue as the Chief Guest. (Morung Photo)
DIMAPUR, MAY 3 (MExN): The Ao Students’ Union Dimapur (AKTD) celebrated the premiere traditional festival of the Ao - Moatsu - on Tuesday, May 3 at the DDSC Stadium, Dimapur. Director General of Police, Home Guard, Civil Defence & Prisons, O. Alem graced the occasion as the chief guest. The festival, in essence, is observed to invoke the Almighty’s blessings as the sowing season begins.
In his address, Alem urged the gathering, comprising mostly of youths and students to strike a healthy balance between modernity and ethnicity. Globalisation and modernity have benefited the Nagas a lot yet it should not let oneself be carried away. One should take and enjoy the positives modernity has bestowed upon the Nagas, on the other hand, he cautioned that it should not be at the cost of forgetting one’s responsibilities. “Divide your time judiciously”, he said.
This is an age when western culture has greatly influenced the Nagas, particularly the present younger generation, he said. Nevertheless, he expressed happiness that the older folks are filled with pride when they witness the youths taking the lead in organizing such events with great enthusiasm. Let the experiences gained in the journey of life be the guiding factor, he said. And hence encourage the youngsters to look forward to educate themselves.
N. Panger Jamir, Rtd. Director, Employment exhorted the gathering. In his speech, Jamir fervently appealed upon the youths to be self reliant and not be mere dependents.
No celebration of Moatsu is complete without exposition of entertaining cultural items. The Ao Union Dimapur (ASTD) and the Dimapur Watsu Telongjem (women’s forum), on behalf of the older generation presented cultural songs. Dimapur units of the Dibuia Students’ Union, Merangkong Students’ Union and Mopungchuket Students’ Union displayed entertaining array traditional dances. A tug-of-war competition was also held.
In his address, Alem urged the gathering, comprising mostly of youths and students to strike a healthy balance between modernity and ethnicity. Globalisation and modernity have benefited the Nagas a lot yet it should not let oneself be carried away. One should take and enjoy the positives modernity has bestowed upon the Nagas, on the other hand, he cautioned that it should not be at the cost of forgetting one’s responsibilities. “Divide your time judiciously”, he said.
This is an age when western culture has greatly influenced the Nagas, particularly the present younger generation, he said. Nevertheless, he expressed happiness that the older folks are filled with pride when they witness the youths taking the lead in organizing such events with great enthusiasm. Let the experiences gained in the journey of life be the guiding factor, he said. And hence encourage the youngsters to look forward to educate themselves.
N. Panger Jamir, Rtd. Director, Employment exhorted the gathering. In his speech, Jamir fervently appealed upon the youths to be self reliant and not be mere dependents.
No celebration of Moatsu is complete without exposition of entertaining cultural items. The Ao Union Dimapur (ASTD) and the Dimapur Watsu Telongjem (women’s forum), on behalf of the older generation presented cultural songs. Dimapur units of the Dibuia Students’ Union, Merangkong Students’ Union and Mopungchuket Students’ Union displayed entertaining array traditional dances. A tug-of-war competition was also held.
