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Gala events mark Kut observation
IMPHAL, Nov 1: 24-year old, Rantanmawi of Churachandpur was crowned Miss Kut 2007 tonight at around 11 pm, culminating day-long Chavang Kut celebrations today at the 1st Manipur Rifles grounds.
Laimayum Anuska Sharma, 17, of Nagamapal Laimayum Leirak, and Tingneiuah Sitlhou, 20 were crowned first and second runners-up in the pageant, the highlight of the Kut celebrations, the biggest harvesting festival of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo tribes.
The title winner took home a cheque of Rs. 50,000 while the first and second runners-up won cash awards of Rs. 35,000 and Rs. 25,000 respectively.
The beauty pageant, culminating a day-long cultural extravaganza, began later than scheduled because of an unexpected shower in the early evening. Apart from the pageant itself, the evening’s celebration was enlivened by a variety of song and dance performances by several young artistes before an audience numbering in the thousands.
Chief minister O Ibobi Singh was present for the early part of the evening’s celebration and donated a sum of Rs. 1 lakh to the organisers.
Among the 33 contestants, first runners-up Anuska Sharma won the Miss Catwalk, while Miss Beautiful Eyes title went to Mashuma Qureshi, Miss Congeniality title to Kimboi Vaiphei, Miss Photogenic to Olivia Huidrom, Miss Beautiful Smile to Savina Oinam and Miss Beautiful Hair to Phoireikim.
Earlier, the Kut celebrations began at around 10:30 am the morning, with Governor of Manipur Dr Shivinder Singh Sidhu in attendance as chief guest and former minister Holkholet Khongsai acting as Kut Pa.
A day-long cultural extravaganza, cutting across community lines, followed after the Governor formally opened the functioning by formally releasing a multitude of colourful balloons.
Folk and traditional dances performed by cultural troupes of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo tribes and other communities were interspersed with modern music numbers performed by up-and-coming artists in the day’s programme, culminating in the highly popular Miss Kut beauty pageant in the evening.
Chantoi Chongom, vice president AMESCO and ST Susa, social worker were also feted as Kut personalities of the year for 2007.
The Governor, in his address at the gathering, observed that the Kut festival symbolizes compassion, gaiety and gratefulness. It occupies a uique position not only for the Kuki-Chin-Mizo people, but amongst all as it carries an appeal to reason and to heart. In the celebration of Kut, the edifice of oneness and friendship get strengthened, he said.
The Governor, who also released a souvenir published on the occasion, contributed a sum of Rs. 50,000 to the organising committee.
Tribal development minister DD Thaisii, in his address at the morning’s function, stressed the basic unity of all communities living in Manipur which is reaffirmed by the Kut festival, and urged all to bury their antagonisms.
IPR minister TN Haokip, several other MLAs and top police and civil officials were present at the morning’s function.
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Kut tradition and modernity
IMPHAL, Nov 1: The Chavang Kut, a festival of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo group once again brought together all the different tribes of the group on a single platform in a most harmonious environment today.
It seems that the traditional structure of the festival which is closely related with harvesting has changed but the theme of the traditional event is still preserved as Holkhmang Haokip in his vote of thanks at the celebration said, “We are one.” This festival will bring together all as one, not only the Chin-Kuki-Mizo but also Meiteis and Nagas in Manipur.
However, it is sad to observe that the people who observe Kut as their grandest festival can not really use it for promoting the desired goal of bringing back unity and fraternity amongst the one-time united ethnic group, many writers on Kut have said in their write-ups.
It is not exactly known when and where the festival started but it is believed that Kut is one of the earliest known festivals recorded as one Pu ‘Chongja’ performed before he left for ‘Chunggam’ and is ‘Chon’, a kind of feasting over an accomplishment, Ngamkhohao Haokip said in his article “Kut: Its essence and significance.”
Therefore, in its primitiveness lies its traditional values, the unexplored side of which the younger generation needs to unearth and harness to foster fraternity and unity among the Kut-celebrating-people, he writes.
Kut as a traditional celebration: Firstly, Kut is Kut. There are not any names that can befittingly take the place of Kut. It is a word common to all Chin-Kuki-Mizo groups of people.
Kut implies nothing less than traditional celebration of joyfulness over the bountiful harvests.
Kut is an autumn festival of the different tribes of Kuki-Chin-Mizo groups of Manipur. Since the very beginning this festival has been variously described at different places amongst different tribes as Chavang-Kut or Khodou etc.
The people celebrate this festival as a happy occasion for the villagers whose food stock is bountiful after a year of hard labour. They enjoy feasts with songs and dances in merriment and joviality for all, in honour of the giver of an abundant harvest.
In short, Kut is a festival, primarily to remember the creator God and to give thanks to him for his abundant blessings. All sections of people whether rich or poor enjoy themselves on such occasions forgetting all their anxieties and worries on this day.
Traditionally, Kut day is a day that is eagerly awaited by those debtors to the village or to any individuals for on this day their burdens of debts are written-off.
In addition, all kinds of unsettled cases like fights, disputes and the likes are settled for peace. It is indeed a day of peace and harmony in the village that is celebrating Kut, writers have said.
In due course of time, Kut of today is progressing toward being less inviting in its style and significance to the people who celebrate it, but on the other hand, Kut has become a celebration of nothingness for non-celebrators, anti-traditionalists, many observe.
Now items like fashion show, beauty contests have been added which have assumed not only regional significance but also an international significance in the sense that its impact is no more confined to the state alone.
It is pertinent to mention that on the ground that adding of the fashion show, beauty contests has affected the traditional structure of the Kut festival, militants outfit serve diktat to ban these items and the organizers have suspended this item in the last two consecutive years.
But this year, the militants lifted the diktat and once again added the items to the observation.
Source: The Imphal Free Press
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