STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Mising community has demanded a state holiday on the first Wednesday of Phagun month of the Assamese calendar on the occasion of their festival, Ali Ai Ligang. The community submitted a memorandum demanding a state holiday.
In the memorandum, it stated, "We have been demanding a state holiday for a long period of time for the festival Ali Ai Ligang, but unfortunately, the government has not responded to our concern and declared it so. The Mising community is the second largest in the state, according to the 2011 Census, with a population of 6,87,836. Currently, the population constitutes about 9 to 10 lakhs."
The community demands a state holiday as it constitutes a large population and so that the community reaches a larger sphere in promoting the customs, manners, traditions, and way of life.
However, the government has not yet declared Ali Ai Ligang a state holiday. The State Cabinet has only approved it as a restricted holiday in 10 districts, including Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, and Tinsukia, as these areas are Mising community-oriented.
The government has made it a mockery by assigning holidays only to the 10 districts. As the government has already given state holidays to those festivals where the population of the community is less, like Chhatt Puja and Bhatri Dwitiya, in turn, the government has treated the Mising community in an unfair way. That is the reason: a state holiday should be declared on the first Wednesday of Phagun month of the Assamese calendar. Also, there should be chapters mentioning Ali Ai Ligang at the primary levels so that students will be able to learn about the festival and the culture and traditions of the community.
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