Nagaland says ready to host Hornbill Festival

The 23rd Hornbill Festival will begin at Naga Heritage Village Kisama in the Southern Angami region on December 1, officials said on Tuesday.

Known as the 'festival of festivals', it will continue till December 10, showcasing Nagaland's deep-rooted traditions and its rich cultural heritage in all its ethnicity, diversity, and grandeur, they said.

All necessary arrangements are in place for the 10-day-long festival at the picturesque venue with the Naga morungs (traditional huts) designed as per the map of the state, Advisor for Tourism and Art & Culture Department MLA H Khehovi Yepthomi told a press conference here.

The government is ready to welcome the visitors and tourists to witness the rich tradition and culture of the 18 different Naga tribes, he said.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar will grace the inaugural function to be held at 4 pm, while Ambassador of France to India Emmanuel Lenain, British Deputy High Commissioner Alan Gemmel and Australian High Commissioner Barry O'Farrel Ao will be the other guests, he said.

Asked about the declaration of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) not to participate in any government function, including the Hornbill Festival, Yepthomi said the government was making efforts to bring them in and was still waiting for their final response.

He, however, said that if the ENPO tribes do not come forward, alternate plans have been put in place.

ENPO, an apex body of the seven major tribes of the six districts in eastern Nagaland, has been demanding a separate state of Frontier Nagaland. It has declared that it would not to participate in any elections and other official functions, including the Hornbill Festival, unless its demand is fulfilled.

Yepthomi said Kohima and Dimapur based cultural troupes belonging to the tribes of Eastern Nagaland will be brought in for the 10-day festival.

Asked if the ENPO disallows them as well, he affirmed that discussions have already been held with them and they have agreed on it.

Stating that Rs 5 crore has been earmarked for the Hornbill Festival, the MLA said the government was investing the money not for revenue generation but to help the entrepreneurs of the state to generate income through the festival, which goes up to Rs 100 crore.

He said the highest tourist footfall at the Naga Heritage Village to witness the Hornbill festival during the last 22 years is 2,82,811 in 2019, the last full-scale celebration.

He expressed optimism that the festival will witness more tourist participation this year.

In 2020, the festival could not be held due to the pandemic, while last year, it was curtailed to only four days following the December 4 Oting massacre by security forces, killing at least 13 civilians.