Seperate stalls to provide to hill people for free

Imphal: In the 7th Langbal Keithel to be held on next year, separate stalls for hill people from various ethnic communities will be kept reserved free of cost to strengthen the bonding of hills and valley people of Manipur, proprietor of DS Enterprises, Heisnam Herojit Singh said.

Herojit was speaking during felicitation programme of the people of hills who came to attend Mera Hou Chongba at Sana Konung, Palace Compound. The felicitation programme was held at Hapta Kangjeibung on Monday.

The main objectives of organising Langbal Keithel is to promote the local products and to encourage the local artisans and others including youths who have potential of production but do not have a proper centre. Through the Langal Keithel local people can the opportunity to promote their local products and explore their talents which non-locals had been doing before Langbal Keithel was organised, he said.

Earlier such ‘melas’ are organised by non-locals and they collect huge amount of money from the local people. There was no benefit to organise such ‘melas’ in the state. However, in Langbal Keithel no non-locals are allowed to open their stalls but some non-local are engaged to set up huge machineries including Columbus swing, ferris wheel and others, he added.

Herojit assured that for hill people of various ethnic communities who wanted to open stall at Langbal Keithel in order to promote their respective community products can open at free of cost. He said for the hill people who open stalls will also be given travelling allowance including free fooding and lodging.

In the next year the felicitation programme will be held one day ahead of Mera Hou Chongba festival which will convenient for the people of hills who come to attend Mera Hou Chongba festival.

A grand feast was also organised at Hapta Kangjeibung where people from both the hill and valley enjoyed the gathering.