Angami men showcased a traditional game as the Sekrenyi-cum-Mini Hornbill festival opened at Sovima village in Chümoukedima on February 25, where Tourism and Higher Education Minister Temjen Imna Along defended the state’s Hornbill and Mini Hornbill cultural programmes and urged Naga communities to preserve their heritage for the future. Along said the festivals have helped revive traditional pride and reoriented young people away from the unrest of the 1990s, rejecting claims that the events promote immorality.
Addressing attendees, Along appealed to all Naga tribes to safeguard their culture. “My dear people, I always believe personally that indigenous people like the Nagas-the Angamis, the Chakhesangs, Zeliangs, Aos, Lothas, Sumis, Konyaks, Phom, Khiamniungan, all of us. The indigenous people, if we do not preserve our heritage of our culture, of our tradition, and of our way of life, then we will not be able to take ourselves as an entity of a progressive people,” he said.
Along argued that Christian faith and indigenous traditions can coexist. “I beg to differ. I always believe that Christ, our Savior, is faith in action for us. But our tradition and our heritage and our culture, which we have already come forward with… with the knowledge of the Savior, is we put our faith in Him… and preserve and persevere with our tradition, with our culture, and with our way of life,” he remarked.
The minister warned that the strengthening of narrow tribal identities has, paradoxically, weakened wider Naga unity. He questioned why greater literacy and cultural awareness have not translated into unity “as indigenous tribals and citizens of Nagaland.” He also cautioned against “patronising” illegal immigrants for short-term economic gain and urged communities to assist genuine non-Naga Indian citizens obtain proper documentation such as the Inner Line Permit (ILP), rather than harbouring illegal settlers that could harm the state in the long run.
Praising the Angami community’s inclusive spirit during Sekrenyi, Along said the festival’s theme of purification could help build bridges and dispel suspicion between tribes. Angami Public Organisation president Thejao Vihienuo noted that while the Angami have “overwhelmingly become Christians” and largely ceased ancestral rituals, the festival’s core purpose of sanctification remains. Vihienuo said the APO finds “all the more reason to observe Sekrenyi” today, calling it a time to “dedicate ourselves, and to renew our bond with our Creator” and to seek blessings for the year ahead.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/cultural-preservation-essential-for-nagas
Category: Nagaland
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Publish Date: 2026-02-26 00:24:00
