Conrad K Sangma addressing the Garo community at the Wangala festival held at Ekaranipathar, Dimapur, on Saturday, November 21. (Morung Photo)
Conrad K Sangma was addressing the Garo community at the Wangala festival held at Ekaranipathar, Dimapur as the chief guest. Recounting the Wangala festival held at Garo Hills, he said that the festival organizing committee is taking constructive step for the next year to ensure participation from all its communities from Nagaland, Assam, Tripura and Bangladesh. Conard also asserted that efforts are on to find out their communities in Burma adding, “We are planning to go in a delegation to find them out and invite them to participate in the festival”. He advocated that the festival should be a meeting point for all the Garo communities in all over the country. Underscoring on the need to uphold culture and tradition, Sangma said, “We may be living anywhere in any parts of the country, but we have to adopt to all the culture, language and religion according to environment and situation of the state”. Sangma also stressed on the need to promote the language. Sangma further encouraged the Garo community to organize the celebration in a proper festival way by promoting traditional sports. Focus should be the sports and festivity, he added.
Tali, Joint Director, NEZCC who graced the occasion as guest of honour stated that unity in development is much more appreciable in the region. He emphasized on the need to maintain peaceful coexistence by respecting each other culture and other way of life. Articulating on the preservation and development of culture, he said that the NEZCC is trying to help different communities to help in preserving their culture.
Marcus Sangma, MLA, Omailo K Sangma, MLA, Nihim D Shira, MLA, Desang Sangma, MLA and Neiba Ndang, Former Speaker, Nagaland Legislative Assembly also spoke on the occasion. Various cultural troupes including Garo, Dimasa, Mech, Gorkha and Adivasi performed cultural dances on the
occasion.
Earlier, the welcome address was delivered by president, Wangala Festival Celebration Committee while April Sangma, Convenor of Wangala Festival Celebration Committee delivered a brief note on Wangala.
Meanwhile, in a sideline interview, Conrad K Sangma asserted that the Meghalaya government is trying to build up the tie with Bangladesh. He said, “in order to build the tie with Bangladesh, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, PA Sangma is inviting the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to come to Shillong”.
Queried on whether it is easier to build the tie with the neighbouring country, he asserted that they are very keen on it adding, “It definitely is much easier”. On being asked about the venture of illegal immigrant, he emphasized that even the government of India has been trying for the past 15 to 20 years to curb illegal immigrant but without success. In this regard, he stressed on the requirement of another approach.
He said that building up the ties, ensuring ID system and ensuring proper trade taking place will ultimately refuse the illegal immigrant. “There should be a concern, but I don’t think that illegal immigrant should be a reason for us to stop a tie and end a relationship with Bangladesh”, Sangma opined.
To another query, he said that in order build up ties and ensures that they have a link with Bangladesh transit bridge from Calcutta to Bangladesh via Garo Hills has been constructed. “It is the link that we are working on and we hope that something take place in the coming years”, he asserted.