SHILLONG: The Congress-led Opposition in the KHADC has urged the Executive Committee (EC) to revive the Monolith Festival which aims to showcase the rich culture and traditions of the various Khasi tribes.
“The Council had intended to make the Festival an annual event. Sadly the previous EC had decided to do away with the Festival in view of the alleged misappropriation of funds in the implementation of the Khasi Heritage Village (KHV) scheme at the Sacred Groves at Mawphlang,” Opposition leader and Congress MDC Pynshngain N Syiem said while moving a Motion on the need to preserve Khasi culture and traditions during the concluding day of the Council’s Winter Session here on Wednesday.
Syiem said that the controversy over the Khasi Heritage Village had no relation with the Festival since they were two separate issues.
Pointing out that the inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of funds in the implementation of the KHV should continue, the Opposition leader asked the EC to initiate the process to conduct the Festival.
“Everyone had anticipated that the KHADC will hold the second edition of the Monolith Festival. I feel it is a major embarrassment for the Council that it has failed to re-organise the Festival,” he said.
Syiem stated that the Festival was an instant hit since a large number of people had appreciated this initiative of the Council, and added that the Festival was telecast even on a national news channel (CNN IBN) and was reported in all major national dailies.
“As many as 53 traditional Himas (kingdoms) from different parts of Ri Bhoi, East, West and South West Khasi Hills districts had participated in the Festival,” Syiem said, adding that rich traditional food, sports, medicines, attires, dance and songs, besides the traditional game of archery was also showcased in the Festival.
“The tribes’ style of living and dressing, their traditional herbal medicines, their folk songs and dances were some of the attractions of the Monolith Festival,” he recollected.
“At a time when the younger generation is drifting towards western culture, there is no better platform to create awareness among the youths about their culture and traditions as compared to the Festival,” the Opposition leader said.
Supporting the motion, Congress MDC Antonio War said that the Monolith Festival should be revived at any cost.
He said that the surprising factor was that maximum number of people who flocked the venue of the two-day Festival were the local people and not tourists from outside.
“The Festival has managed to catch the imagination of the local people in feeling proud of their own culture and tradition. This is the greatness of the Monolith Festival,” War said.
He also said that there was no justification in scrapping the Festival just because any inquiry was pending in relation with the KHV.
In his reply, Deputy Chief Executive Member in charge of Art and Culture, Teinwell Dkhar, said that the present EC has no intention to scrap the Monolith Festival.
“We are planning to hold the Festival during the winter season since it is not a good idea to hold the same during the rainy season,” Dkhar said, adding that the Council was planning to hold the Festival either in March or April next.
“The EC will be meeting soon to chalk out the strategy on how to organize the Festival,” he added.