The Villagers of Bura-Namsang village under Tamlu Sub-Division of Longleng district in Eastern part of Nagaland has first time, Celebrated the Monyu festival with colourful programmes. The Bura-Namsang Village which was established in 18th Century, at present has 1000 families is the biggest village of the Longleng district.
The Monyu the most popular and biggest festival falls in the month of April every year soon after the sowing season. The festival is celebrated for 6 days, begining from 1st to 6th April every year. It also marks the end of Winter and begining of Summer or Monsoon. A day or two prior to the festival the green signals of the dawn of festival is made by beating drums with a distinct tune synchronised purposely for the event, trditionally named "Lan Nyangshem".
The Priest or the Village elders performed a ritual and pridict what the forthcoming festival would be, a blessing or a curse. In case the prediction shows the sign of danger, the villagers are warned to be careful during the festivity. Monyu is the time to bid farewell to the on going year and heralds the dawn of the new year. It also the time of prayers and dedication for the sprouting crops that are already sowed. The main feature of the Monyu is the occasion, when the male members of the family shows love and renewal of the affectioned feelings towards their married daughters and sisters by presenting them the purest of the rice beer and specially prepared foods. Such conduct reflects the general status of the Phom Women that "they are respected and honoured". Planning and decision relating to the community welfare to be implemented throughout the years are decided during the festival.
The Six days long festival follows a circle of ritual and activities which are categorised day-wise as following. The first day is the day for all over preparation. Besides preparing of domestic chores every household go to collect wrapping leaves and bamboo's which is called, " Shongten-Laiphen".
The second day is for Compulsory brewing of all kinds of Rice-beer.
The third day is meant for the varying age group from oldest one to the youngest. They gather together and feast admist dancing, merry making etc., Thus the day is named, " Aiha Okshok".
The fourth day is coined as "Chingi Okshok", which practically means general festivity and also the day of arrival of guests from the neighbouring villages.
There is report of escalating tension in Chirang district following recovery of the bodies and there are reports of minority community protesting on the streets against the death of the three men. Additional reinforcements of police and para military forces have been rushed to the affected areas, where forces are already deployed since the outbreak of Bodo-Muslim clashes in July. Night curfew continues in Kokrajhar and Chirang, which are part of Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts, and Dhubri.
After a very brief silence, violence seems to have resurfaced in the BTAD areas. In a yet to string of murder and mayhem, five persons have been killed in Kokrajhar on Sunday. Three bullet riddled bodies were found in Chirang on Sunday. This is apart from two more bodies found in Kokrajhar district. One person is reported missing in the district.
According to Chirang Superintendent of Police, the three - father and his two sons - had left the camp for displaced persons at Kawatika village of Chirang district in the afternoon on Saturday and their bodies were found on Sunday.
The Assam government has set up a group of ministers to oversee and coordinating the relief and rehabilitation measures in the affected districts on his direction.
According to sources, the GoM comprises Revenue Minister Prithibi Majhi as chairperson and comprises Planning and Development Minister Tanka Bahadur Rai, Public Health and Engineering Minister Gautam Roy, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Nazrul Islam, Education and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain and Transport Minister Chandan Brahma. Agriculture minister Nilamoni Sen Deka will be the Member Secretary of the GoM.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday said that the government is taking steps to ensure best treatment for all inmates, particularly to children and mothers, residing in camps for displaced persons in the violence-hit BTAD areas and Dhubri district Gogoi directed Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with other senior officers of the health department to be present in the affected areas. Gogoi has also instructed that all medical and para-medical staff and medicine requirement may be refurbished by requisitioning from other districts.
The B Barooah College student who went missing on Saturday has been rescued in . New Jalpaiguri on Sunday.According to information, Saidul Islam approached RPF officials in NJ P alleging that a group of miscreants forcibly took away him by train when he was on the way to Panbazar on Saturday afternoon. The N JP . RPF officials then conveyed it to their Guwahati counterpart on Sunday wee hours which was later passed to his Kokrajhar-based parents. A team of Guwahati police is leaving for NJP to bring him back to the city.
A college student has been remaining traceless in Guwahati from Saturday. Identified as Saidul Islam, first year degree student of the B Barooah College went missing from 3 in the afternoon from Panbazar where he went to buy books. Police operation is going on in the city to trace Saidul who hails from Kokrajhar. Panbazar police station has already registered a case and investigation is going on.
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that altogether 13 refugees died in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts during the recent violence. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Dr Sarma said that the department was working in 303 relief camps in the affected districts. According to him, so far blood tests of 8102 refugees have been conducted with over hundred of them testing positive for malaria.
A slew of strategies is in place to counter any effort by ULFA to monger trouble the run-up to Independence Day.Talking to reporters in Guwahati on Saturday, Senior Superintendednt of Police of Kamrup Metro Aditya Prakash Tiwari said that surveillance, pickets have been increased to ensure that the militant groups are not able to disrupt peace in Guwahati. According to Tiwari, ULFA cadres are working closely with other militant groups like the Meghalaya-based Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA).
Panic grips thousands of local residents in Tinsukia district after they came to notice high levels of gas emissions in water. The villagers in Hilikhaguri are scared of using the water from the hand pump to douse out the fires they use to cook food in their houses. This gas emissions spread beyond Deohall tea estate. The angry people in Hilikhaguri village blamed it all on Oil India for not paying any attention to the repeated complaints.
The All Bodoland Minority Students' Union on Saturday denied involvement of a newly formed unit was involved in the recent clashes. The organization said that there was no evidence about it. The ABMSU leader said refugee camps were facing shortage of essential items despite assurances by the administration.
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