“Sangai festival makes no difference to us but Ningol Chakkouba or Christmas does” – Keinahanbi

IT News
Imphal, Nov 30: For almost 10 days, majority of the people in government service and the middle class families as well as those who manage to catch up with middle class lifestyle were busy with the Sangai Festival Phobia. For those in the big business, running hotels and those who are close aid to men in power with the government, this festival is more like a harvest season. But for vendor ladies at Khwairamband Keithel, the festival is of no use, it only makes their life more hard with the frequent changes of traffic.
“Sangai festival da kangdeda, garina marol ama chilliba, phamphamna ngaihak leite hongdok hongjin touhallise, pot su amatta sitte yonphamsu khangde” which literally means “I don’t care about Sangai festival, traffic is congested, we are force to change our place frequently, there is not many sales and we are unable to sales peacefully”, is the reply given to this reporter by Keinahanbi, a street vendor who live on by selling vegetable at Khwairambandh Keithel.
She further said that she sales more on Ningol Chakouba Festival and during Christmas time.
Imphal, literally is in festive mood with lots of disco lights during evening time at almost all important roadsides along Kanglapat, Khuman Lampak, Hapta Kangjeibung and Lamboi Khongnangkhong.  The roads in front of Governor which leads to Hapta Kangjeibung as well as towards North AOC is kept clean since Sangai Festival was yet to start with IMC workers performing their duty. But while keeping strict vigils to these roads where VIP or VVP usually passed one side of the Nambul river inbetween Keishampat to Shamu Makhong is left uncared.
For Keinahanbi and other like her, they have no reason to be happy about Sangai Festival phobia.  These people are still not provided a permanent place to sell their vegetable. They sat by paying some few rupees to men in Khakhi to enable them selling their goods on the roadsides in and around Khwairamband Keithel. That too there is no guarantee on how long they can sell their goods as they are driven out anytime whenever the so call VIP or VVIP visited Khwairambandh keithel area.
Source said around 7 crore rupees has been spent for the Sangai Festival. A special committee was instituted by the government to make the event successful. For those who can manage to enjoy the festival, government is doing an excellent job. But for the thousands of women who comes to the Khwairambandh Keithel to sell their goods but do not have a place to sell, nothing has been done so far.