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Journalism of Courage
To protest the killings of civilians by the security forces in Mon district on Saturday, eight of the 17 tribes in Nagaland have announced their withdrawal from the annual Hornbill Festival, which is currently underway at Kisama village. The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation has asked all the six tribes it represents to abstain from participation in the festival with immediate effect, while also asking them to hoist black flags at the venue. Meanwhile, Lotha Hoho and Sumi Hoho have also condemned the killings and decided to abstain from the festival till further notice.
The 22nd edition of the annual event started on December 1 amid much enthusiasm. On the very first day, it recorded a footfall of over 12,000 people. In fact, the Hornbill Festival is taking place after one year’s gap owing to pandemic-related restrictions.
While inaugurating the festival this year, Nagaland Governor Jagdish Mukhi had said, “The day is not far when the much-awaited peace agreement with Naga rebel groups will be signed. Everyone should make up their minds to create a conducive atmosphere for welcoming the new dawn of peaceful and progressive Nagaland.” But now, the situation seems to have turned adverse after Saturday’s incident, which has not only put the festival, but also the peace afford under cloud.
Also called the “festival of festivals”, the 10-day annual programme brings all the 17 tribes of the state on a platform and facilitates the promotion of their culture to the rest of the world. The first edition of the festival – which is named after the Indian hornbill, the large and colourful forest bird which is displayed in the folklore of most of the state’s tribes – was held in 2000. Over the years, the Hornbill Festival has contributed significantly to enhancing the state’s tourism brand. The state’s Tourism Department recorded 12,420 visitors on the first day of the 22nd edition, including 9,527 locals, and 2,882 domestic travellers. Over 1.12 lakh tourists came to Nagaland during the Hornbill festival in 2016, while 2.82 lakh visited in 2019.
While domestic tourists are required to obtain the inner line permit from the local government, foreign tourists are required to register at the Foreigners Registration Office of the residential district within 24 hours of their arrival. Since 2000, the festival has evolved from being representative of the cultural diversity of the Naga tribes to becoming a grand cultural extravaganza representing the entire region, and contributed greatly to the state’s economy.
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