‘Essential to acknowledge ancestral practices’

August 8, 2022 31 Views No Comment

Tsüngremong celebrated in New Delhi

Dimapur, August 8 (MExN): The Delhi Ao Senso Telongjem (DAST) celebrated Tsüngremong on August 6 at Nagaland House, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road, New Delhi. The event witnessed a gathering of more than six hundred people from different walks of life including civil servants, defence personnel, policy makers, scholars, professors, corporates, and social workers, according to a press release received here on Sunday.

As per the release, the celebration was made educative and the gathering was edified by the presence of the two guests of honour who are natives of the North East region—Imkongla Jamir IAS, Resident Commissioner, Government of Karnataka, New Delhi, and Hibu Tamang IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police/SPUNER (The Special Police Unit for North East Region) and Nodal Officer for Northeast People.

On the occasion, Imkongla Jamir, re-visited her experience as a young student where exposure and idea about Northeast (NE) were not common. However, she noted that things have changed with time and the ‘outside world’ is more aware of the region, people, and culture. She said that the NE people should open their minds, and be willing to explore and learn about the environment and situation they live in.

Stating that knowledge that does not give space for learning, unlearning, and re-learning are impediments to the strides towards a progressive society, she also drew parallels with the cultural and customary practices, adding: ‘Adaptability should be an essence of our culture and we should be able to imbibe all relevant and necessary changes to deal with the challenges and opportunities of our times.’ She was appreciative of the present younger generation self-starting and venturing out to newer avenues for livelihood, and not just engrossed in the conventional idea of settling with government jobs, the release stated.

Hibu Tamang commended the conduct of the festival that marks the significance and values of the ancestors. Highlighting the importance of protecting intellectual and traditional knowledge, Tamang said, “Every symbolic activity displayed during the occasion is essential and is significant to acknowledge our ancestral practices and observations,” according to the release.

Further, he invited the attention of the gathering that SPUNER being the helping arm for people from Northeast in Delhi, is the only institution in India that has a dedicated team with a 24/7 helpline. The team is always available to resolve problems faced by NE people living in Delhi, he said.

The celebration was attended by numerous senior central and state government officials as well as a special guest speaker Er Imkongchiba Pongen (Retd), who narrated the significance of Tsüngremong.

Elders and various groups presented folk songs, dances, and games and sports like men spinning tops, women playing with snuff box sea bean, bamboo stilt walking etc., as a mark of observing the ancestral celebration, it said.

According to President DAST, Er N Ajungba Jamir, “This year we have organized the Tsüngremong festival after a long wait of two years due to the pandemic. Therefore, the Ao community decided to celebrate with éclat to conserve the tradition of our forefathers. It is heartening to see the overwhelming support and response.”

The event concluded with Tsüngremong Feast consisting of various dishes of Nagaland, the release stated.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/essential-to-acknowledge-ancestral-practices