Correspondent
KOHIMA, OCT 22 (NPN): Tourism department held a consultative meeting with tribal hohos on Thursday to discuss preparations for the 27th edition of the Hornbill Festival, with key issues including morung maintenance, visitor amenities, cultural presentations and the proposed privatisation of the Naga Heritage Village complex at Kisama.
The meeting, held at the department’s conference hall, brought together officials and representatives of tribal hohos to discuss ways to improve the festival experience and address concerns over the upkeep and management of morungs.
Moderating the meeting, tourism director Veyielo Doulo said the consultation was aimed at preparing for the upcoming festival. He informed that the Cabinet had decided to privatise the entire Kisama complex, including the morungs, which would be handed over to tribal hohos around 20 days before the festival.
Doulo said the department had been encouraging tribal hohos to keep their morungs active throughout the year, although only a few had managed to do so. He also pointed out that the placement of log drums and other traditional implements in some morungs restricted seating space for visitors.
On the proposal to construct additional morungs for tribal cultural groups, Doulo said implementation could be difficult at present due to the shortage of land at Kisama, as new construction would require additional land acquisition.
Commissioner and secretary for tourism, Kovi Meyase, said the Hornbill Festival had placed Nagaland on the international map, growing from an event held on local grounds in Kohima into a major cultural platform attracting visitors from across the country and abroad.
With tourist footfall increasing, he stressed the role of tribal hohos in showcasing and preserving the state’s diverse cultures and traditions. He said the festival continued to provide opportunities to improve hospitality, attitudes and the overall visitor experience, adding that the cooperation and insights of tribal hohos were essential to preserving its charm and significance.
Meyase recalled that morung repairs and renovations had sometimes been undertaken at the last moment in previous years. He expressed hope that the necessary restoration work would be completed by the second week of November ahead of the festival.
Emphasising the importance of cultural interpretation, he suggested that each morung have an elderly storyteller and young people dressed in traditional attire to explain tribal customs, traditions and stories to visitors and interact with them.
A representative of the Chakhesang cultural organisation suggested declaring Kisama a plastic-free zone and instituting an award for the cleanest morung to promote cleanliness and better maintenance.
The representative also called for drinking water to be supplied to all morungs during the festival and raised concerns over difficulties faced by tribal hohos in obtaining car passes.
The organisation sought an enhancement of grants for repairs and maintenance in view of rising costs and urged the department to explore the possibility of providing honorariums to cultural groups.
While welcoming the government’s decision to privatise the Kisama complex, the representative stressed the need for further consultation with tribal hohos before the decision was implemented. The organisation also suggested developing additional accommodation facilities or morungs for cultural groups representing all 17 tribes, who currently stay in neighbouring villages during the festival.
A representative of the Lotha community said the organisation had been cleaning its morung every second Saturday since September. He encouraged other tribal hohos to adopt similar initiatives and consider operating hotels, noting that a single establishment would not be sufficient to cater to visitors.
He also called for stronger security arrangements at Kisama, citing the recent loss of valuable traditional motifs from the Lotha morung. Expressing concern over the proposed privatisation, he said the management arrangement should ensure that the distinct traditions and cultural identities of individual tribes were properly represented and preserved.
An Ao Senden representative reiterated the need for fire hydrants at strategic locations in Kisama, recalling that the organisation had raised the issue last year as a precaution against possible fire incidents. The representative also suggested installing CCTV cameras to deter anti-social activities.
The representative highlighted the need for basic amenities, including electricity, water supply and security, to enable tribal hohos to operate their morungs throughout the year. Ao Senden also supported the proposal to enhance grants for tribal hohos.
A representative of the Sangtam community raised hygiene concerns over the proximity of restrooms to morungs where food and drinks were served. The representative urged the department to examine the issue and consider suitable improvements in the coming years for the convenience of visitors and workers.
Responding to the concerns, Meyase said the PHE department had arranged an additional five lakh litres of water for Kisama, which he said would be sufficient to meet requirements during the festival.
On cultural performances, he said the art and culture department was working on scheduling cultural troupes in two phases, with the programme to be publicised. He said the arrangement was expected to ease logistical pressure by reducing the need for some troupes to remain at the venue for up to 10 days while waiting for their turns to perform.
Regarding the demand for enhanced grants, Meyase said the department would explore the possibility of a modest increase. He added that the Tourism department, like the tribal hohos, operated within prescribed standards and constraints.
Meyase observed that consultative meetings of this nature should be held earlier in the year to allow stakeholders to prepare proposals and submit them to the government in a timely manner.
On the proposed privatisation of the Kisama complex, he said the Cabinet had already taken a decision and noted that various departments had been given opportunities to manage the complex over the past 26 years. However, he said the management arrangements had not always met the government’s expectations and had resulted in financial losses.
Meyase said the department would endeavour to convey the concerns raised by tribal hohos, including their request for their views to be considered in the matter.