Local holiday declared on Nulding Kut Festival

JOWAI: The East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner has declared a district holiday on account of the Nulding Kut Festival celebrated by the minority Biate Community at Saipung area in East Jaintia Hills.
The Nulding Kut Festival is celebrated annually on January 11. In the past no local holiday was declared on account of the festival.
NGOs including the Apex Body of the Biate Social Council, Biate Cultural Organization of Meghalaya, All Biate Students’ Association, Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong Saipung Circle, Saipung Area Youth Federation, Jaintia Youth Federation-Saipung Circle and the Biate Youth Association has lauded the initiatives of the District Administration in East Jaintia Hills for declaring January 11 as a local holiday in the District.
According to the president of the Biate Cultural Organization of Meghalaya, David Ngaite, Nulding Kut Festival is a religious festival of the Biate community practice since time immemorial.
“Due to unavoidable circumstances, the celebration of the Nulding Kut festival  halted for many years but in the past 20 years, the Biate people has celebrated this religious festival annually”, Ngaite said, adding that “the declaration of the local holiday will encourages us to conserved and protect our Biate tradition and culture.
Meanwhile, the local MDC, Arborhima Darnei also expressed his happiness over the declaration of local holiday on account of the Nulding Kut Festival.