Second edition of Judima festival iugurated at Haflong

The main objective of the programme is not only to promote Judima but also to highlight the age-old traditiol culture of the Dimasa community

From a Correspondent

Haflong, Dec 18: State Panchayat and Rural Development minister ba Kumar Doley iugurated the second edition of Judima festival held at Dibarai field in Haflong on Sunday in presence of Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain who attended the programme as the guest of honour.

The day’s programme started in a traditiol way with chanting of Dimasa prayers by the Dimasa priest after the felicitation of guests followed by welcome speech by the president of the organizing committee.

Chief Executive Member of North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Debolal Gorlosa while delivering his speech, spoke about the objective of organizing such a programme. Judima, which is a local traditiol brew of the Dimasas, has a very important role in every traditiol step of the community, from child birth till death. It has been the effort of the organizers to promote community tourism so that local people are mostly benefitted by outsiders getting opportunities to have a glimpse into the traditiol life of the people here. The main objective of the programme is not only to promote Judima but also to highlight the age-old traditiol culture of the Dimasa community.

Member of Legislative Assembly, BB Hagjer conveyed on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal for his ibility to attend today’s programme due to uvoidable circumstances and read out the Chief Minister’s message to the audience. MLA Hagjer specifically spoke about how turally rich and beautiful the district was with full tourism potential and it had been the endeavour of the present leaders to promote Dima Hasao as one of the prominent tourist destitions of the country.

Minister of State Rajen Gohain spoke on the occasion and conveyed his best wishes to the organizers and extends his support to create better services to facilitate tourists on their visit to this district. He stressed how culture and tradition could be taken as a chance to promote tourism so as to improvise the State and raise the economy of the place. He also announced an amount of Rs 10 lakh from his MP scheme towards development of the area and spoke about how hospitality could enhance the in-flow of tourists. He was also hopeful for better railway services for the people of Dima Hasao and had plans for this, he said.

Chief guest of the programme, minister ba Kumar Doley congratulated the organizers and conveyed his happiness for the opportunity to be part of the programme. He said that the Dimasa Judima was one of the best traditiol brews in the region. He looked forward to seeing Haflong as the major tourist destition of the country.

Felicitation of the achievers from Dima Hasao who had carved a niche for themselves in tiol and intertiol are was done as a part of the programme. These achievers are the youth icons of Dima Hasao and an inspiration for the people.

Few icons who were present at today’s programme are Subimal Bhattacharya who is a globally recognized defence and cyber security alyst based out of New Delhi, Rewati Chetry, a filist in Miss India pageant who has been crowned Miss Asia at the World Miss University 2016 pageant held in Beijing, Prab Langthasa who is a body builder and won several medals in intertiol contest at Toronto and Italy, footballer Baoringdao Bodo who is a member in the U-19 Indian tiol team, Jayashree iding, who is the first Indian Forest Service officer among the Dimasas, Sujoylal Thaosen, who is the first Indian Police Service officer among the Dimasas, Thairingdao Langthasa, who achieved rank in this year’s HSLC examition, tiol shooter Rashmi Thaosen who won several medals tiolly, and Major Debes Hojai who is the first army officer to have achieved the  rank.

The iuguration programme also saw various traditiol dances presented by various tribes and non-tribes of the district and the main attraction was a performance by a group of 100 Dimasa traditiol dancers and drummers ‘khram’ with the traditiol flute ‘muri’. Various books were launched as a part of the event like a souvenir, a catalogue on Dimasa textile design titled Rih dima rikhu bumin ni phandar, a book on traditiol Dimasa folksongs and music khoajeb.

Members of Assam Legislative Assembly Rupok Sharma from gaon, Shila Aditya Deb from Hojai, Dr Numol Momin from Bokajan and BB Hagjer from Haflong also attended the programme. Others who were present on stage were NCHAC chairperson Ranu Lagthasa, executive members of NCHAC, Dima Hasao Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, and Principal Secretaries. Other officials from various departments also attended the programme.