The Manipur Indigenous Alliance (MIA), Indigenous People’s Organisation Manipur (IPOM) and Manipur People’s Party (MPP) have extended greetings to the people on the occasion of Ningol Chakouba, while expressing solidarity with families displaced by the ongoing conflict who remain unable to celebrate the festival in their homes.
In separate messages, the organisations described Ningol Chakouba as a cherished festival celebrating the bond between daughters and their parental families, marked by reunion, feasting, gifts and blessings.
MIA President Soraisam Surendra Singh said displaced families had not been forgotten, adding that the festival’s message of togetherness must strengthen the resolve to work for their safe return. The organisation also called for lasting peace based on truth, dignity, justice and security, stressing the need to acknowledge the historical grievances of indigenous communities.
IPOM, in a statement signed by its Information and Publicity Secretary Jemson Khuman, said thousands of internally displaced persons, particularly women, children and elderly people, continue to live away from their homes since the outbreak of violence on May 3, 2023. It observed that celebrating Ningol Chakouba in their own homes remains an unfulfilled wish for many displaced families for the fourth consecutive year.
IPOM urged the Central and State Governments to take immediate and sincere measures to ensure the safe and dignified return of all internally displaced persons, with adequate security and assurance against further threats.
The Manipur People’s Party, in a media release issued on November 9 and signed by General Secretary (Media) Arambam Karamjit Singh on behalf of party president S. Brojen Singh, conveyed festive greetings in Manipuri and expressed hope for a Manipur free from hardship, division and suffering.
The party called for harmony, mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence, expressing hope that the festival would strengthen family values and social unity.