Shirui Lily: Flavour of the month :: Make the festival meaningful
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 04 2017 -

Thanks to the BJP led Government, Shirui Lily seems to be the flavour of the month and why not ?

Come May 16 and all roads will definitely lead to Ukhrul district headquarters from where Shirui village is just some kilometres away and definitely the decision to hold the Shirui Lily festival is more than just a gesture to give cognizance to the flower which blooms only atop the hills of Shirui village.

A pat on the back of the BJP led Government is in line here and such a step will definitely go a long way in forging the ties between the different communities living in Manipur.

It is a pity that the former Congress Government failed to come up with this idea, despite being in power for three consecutive terms, but better late than never and this is an opportunity that should not be wasted.

The Government has done its job and now it is upto the people to see what they can do to fill the huge vacuum that has developed in the relationship between the people of the hills and the valley.

Down the years, the people have witnessed how the State Government bent backwards to ensure the success of the Sangai Festival and it is only right that due efforts too are made to ensure the success of the scheduled festival and the best success will obviously be when this festival helps to bring the people closer together.

So let not the festival be confined only to the days the festival is held but let its spirit extend to all spheres of life. This would be the best way to pay respect to the flower, which grows only at Shirui village.

More than obvious that the festival will elicit positive response from the media and it is good to note that Shirui village is set to be at the centre of everyone's attention, far from how it was when the village made it to the news in the stand off between the security personnel and NSCN (IM) cadres, many years back.

Fortunately no major confrontation broke out then between the security personnel and the cadres of NSCN (IM) at Shirui village, but for days the village occupied prime space in all the State dailies for days, for all the wrong reasons.

Now again, Shirui village has come back to occupy, prime space and thankfully this time it is all for the right reason.

This is what is welcome and hope the people stretch the spirit of the festival beyond the duration of the festival and make: it more meaningful in the days to come.

Here is also hoping that the State Government makes the scheduled festival an annual affair and not just a five day event in 2017.

It is only right that the people chip in and see how to make the festival meaningful to all.

Here is hoping that Shirui village lives up to its name as the home of the Lily flower.