Imphal, April 11: Along with having covered 120 villages, the Sajibu Khudol Tamba, Egee Khongul Liba programme of tracing the common ancestry of the people living in Manipur sponsored by AMESCO concluded at Khongnangpokpi village in Senapati district today.

The programme is being organised every year since 2001 by AMESCO in collaboration with many other social organisations to coincide with Sajibu Cheiraoba, the new year of the Manipuri people.

The essence of the Sajibu Khudol Tamba, Egee Khongul Liba is the customary practice of presenting gifts by sisters to their brothers and other elderly male relatives on the occasion of Cheiraoba, thereby reaffirming the bonding.

Taking cue from this practice, womenfolk from the valley area presented gifts to their hill brothers in a effort to trace the common ancentry between the hill and the valley people as well as among all the 36 ethnic groups of people living in Manipur since time immemorial.

The programme for this year kick-started on March 26.The concluding programme held at Khongnangpokpi today was attended by members of the Village authorities and church leaders.

Representatives from neighbouring villages like Mapao Khullen Tangkhul, Thangal Village, Chirak Leitonbam were also presented at the occasion.

Gifts were presented to them by women volunteers of AMESCO at the occasion.

The event was hosted by AMESCO in association with the village authorities and clubs of the area.

AMESCO president LS Guite, AMUCO advisor Th Iboyaima, secretary of Mapao Khullen Women Society Jingkhalla, Khullakpa of Khongnangpokpi S Boilien, Pastor Ason, chairperson of the women society of the village Yangnu, AMAWOVA advisor Leirangtonbi Devi and advisor of Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Lup Ibechaobi Devi were presidium members of the function.

Speaking at the occasion.

AMUCO advisor Th Iboyaima said rift have been caused in the relationship of the people at various stages of the history by outsiders who tried to set one group people against another for their own vested interest.

So the present generation should learnt from the mistake of the past and work toward strengthening the emotional bonding among the people once again.

It is with this objective, that the programme of Sajibu Khudol Tamba, Egee Khongul Liba is being organised year after year, he added.

In his address, AMESCO president LS Guite said despite professing different religion, all the 36 ethnic groups of people living in Manipur have a common ancestral stock.

It is with this commitment that AMESCO has been organising Gaan Ngai, Eid, Christmas, Ningol Chakkouba, etc, he added.

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