Non-Participation of ENPO will have no impact on Hornbill Festival: Nagaland Tourism Advisor

Hornbill Canoe Sprint, Hornbill Darts Master, Body Fitness, Lidi Kro U traditional, Naga Thali competition and traditional shot put are the new additions to the Festival.

Reported by Sarah Konyak

Nagaland Tourism, Art & Culture Advisor H Khehovi Yepthomi said on Tuesday that the non-participation of the ENPO in the Hornbill Festival will have no impact on the festival. He said that alternate arrangement has been made in case ENPO does not participate.

It is still not clear if the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) would participate in the Hornbill Festival, one of Nagaland’s biggest festival. The ENPO said they would boycott the festival to press for their long pending demand for a separate state – Frontier Nagaland. The ENPO is the apex body of seven tribal organizations in Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator districts of Nagaland.

The Nagaland Cabinet in its meeting held on Monday, November 28, 2022, appealed to ENPO to reconsider its call to boycott the Festival. In a statement, the Nagaland Cabinet said that the grievances raised by ENPO reagarding participation of cultural troupes in the Hornbill Festival has been addressed and necessary provisions made.

The Cabinet also said that the ENPO should reconsider its boycott call as Home Minister Amit Shah has already given December 3 as the date for the meeting to discuss their demand for a separate state.

The ENPO however, has is yet to respond.

The 10-day long Festival will begin from December 1 and the theme this time will be “Cultural Connect”. The Festival will kick start at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama.

Hornbill Canoe Sprint, Hornbill Darts Master, Body Fitness, Lidi Kro U traditional, Naga Thali competition and traditional shot put are some of the new addition to the grand function.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will be the guest of guest of honour, Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India, Harry O, Farrell Ao, Australian High Commissioner to India and Eleonora Dimitrova, Ambassador of Bulgaria have been invited the honoured guest. Admiral R Harikumar, Chief of Naval Staff will be the special guest.

Governor of Nagaland and Assam Prof. Jagdish Mukhi will be the chief host, the host will be Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, H. Khehovi Yeputhomi Advisor of Tourism Art & Culture-festival host and Yekhüsü Tureng will be the tribal guest.

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