Muslim welfare organisation warns to boycott Sangai festival

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, November 26, 2018: Manipur Muslim Welfare Welfare Organisation (MMWO) has decried over the non-inclusion of culture and religious related hut of the Meitei-Pangal at the Keibul Lamjao, Sangai Heritage Park where huts of other community of the state are constructed at the ongoing Sangai festival venue organised under the Manipur tourism department since November 21.

The Muslim welfare organisation warns to boycott Manipur Sangai Festival if the state government and the concern department fail to clarify the non-inclusion of Meitei-Pangal hut at the heritage site within 24 hours.

Talking to reporters at the MMWO office in Imphal East, president of the organisation Phundreimayum Abdulah Pathan said the annual Manipur Sangai Festival has become one of the popular festivals among many including foreign tourist.

“Is there any reason for not constructing the traditional hut of Meitei-Pangal while huts for other community of the state are constructed at the Keibul Lamjao Heritage park”? Pathan questioned.

Pathan said the state tourism department and art and culture department seems to have failed to acknowledge that there is also culture for Meitei-Pangal of the state.

Such kind of treatment from these departments makes us suspicious if they are trying to hide the culture of Meitei-Pangal from the entire world, he added.

Pathan said, it is another big disappointment for the Meitei-Pangal community of the state that symbol of the Meitei-Pangal is not even included among others at the Integrity Pillar erected at the Traditional Hut at Hapta Kangjeibung.

Memorandum will be submitted to the chief minister as well as to concern departments about such negligence during one of the biggest Manipur Sangai festival, he added.

If they fail to come up with an answer or clarify about these negligence within 24 hours starting from 2 pm of Monday to 2 pm of Tuesday, MMWO will be forced to boycott the Sangai festival as well as, no Meitei-Muslim of the state will participate at the festival instead different form of protest will be carried out, Pathan asserts.