[Photo: Art & culture minister P.C. Zoram Sangliana releasing the ZOFEST 2009 souvenir]Aizawl, Oct 3, 2009: The Zo tribe celebrated Zo Fest which began yesterday in Mizoram. The main programme was organised at Vanapa Hall in Aizawl with the theme “Let’s stand united again”. The festival is one programme attempting to unite all the Zo tribes. On Friday, the Aizawl Zo Fest 2009 was attended by Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana as chief guest. Noted Hmar Mizo litterateur Pu L. Keivom was also present as special invitee.
The Minister while delivering the inaugural speech urged the student community to focus on their goals.
The Minister informed the gathering that the work at Tuirel Hydel project is going on at fast pace. He appealed to the Mizo Zirlai Pawl, the Mizoram students’ body to support the government’s stand on extension of railway track.
Some 109 delegates from outside Mizoram have come to Aizawl to participate in the festival.
Baite tribes from Assam, Hrangkhawl, Ranglawng, Chorei, Kaipeng and Mualsom tribes from Tripura also attended the fest. Delegates from the Bawm Students Association, Bangladesh also participated in the festival.
Mizoram Art and Culture department in collaboration with Mizo Zirlai Pawl organised the festival while the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) sponsored it.
Source: Newmai News | The Assam Tribune
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Mizos to dance into record books
Come next year, Mizoram will literally dance its way into the world record books. Addressing a gathering at the second-day of the ””Zofest 2009”” on Saturday, Mizoram Art and Culture Minister P C Zoramsangliana said, ””Preparations are on to set a new Guinness World Record for the worlds largest dance ensemble. More than 10,000 dancers will perform mass Cheraw during the Chapchar Kut festival at Aizawl next March or April,””.
Cheraw is a colourful dance of the Mizos. The dance is popularly known as ””Bamboo Dance””, called so because the dancers dance to the beat of bamboo sticks. ””Zofest 2009””, a festival of various Mizo ethnic tribes, kic-started with a riot of colours on Friday.
Stressing the need to expose the rich Mizo cultures to the world, Zoramsangliana said Mizo folklores needed to be translated into English and the dances needed to be performed on the international arena.
Different tribes of Mizo origins from neighbouring Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Myanmar and Bangladesh performed their cultural dances and songs at the cultural extravaganza.
The two-day festival, sponsored by the North-East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur, and organised by the state Art and Culture Department and Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), aimed to promote and develop the social and cultural affinity of the Mizo people.
Zoramsanga praised the sense of unity among various Mizo tribes scattered across the region.
Regretting that the rich cultures of the people of North-east were tarnished by insurgency, the minister underlined the need to preserve the hard-earned peace in Mizoram.
””Behind the fun and celebrations, the event aims to bring together various tribes of Mizoram to promote unity. Political and social re-unification of all tribes may not be possible, but a mental unity can be achieved through music and celebration. That is what the Zofest endeavours,”” MZP president C Lalhmchhuana said.
The endeavour was started in Churachandpur in Manipur in 2002 under the aegis of MZP. This year more than 13 tribes of Mizo origins were represented apart from the various Mizo-sub-tribes in the state.
Highlights of the programme included presentation of cultural dances and modern songs rendered by various artistes, who already made a name for themselves in the state, and a costume parade of different tribes of the North-east.
Source: Nagaland Post
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