JOWAI: The four-day religious festival, Ka Behdeinkhlam, organised by Sein Raij Jowai concluded on Tuesday at Aitnar, the sacred pool at Iongpiah Jowai.
The festival witnessed a colourful display of 12 rots or ‘rath’ at the sacred pool. Each rot was brought by faithful of Niamtre from different localities, besides Ummulong Sein Raij and Shillong Sein Raij and one by the Sein Tylli Niamtre, Ladthadlaboh, Jowai.
The rots, like every year, had messages like “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master”, “They suffer a lot not because of the violence of bad people but because of the silence of good people”, on them.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Governor Ganga Prasad, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, Tourism Minister Metbah Lyngdoh, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla, Urban and Youth Affairs Minister, Hamlet Dohling, MLA Wailadmiki Shylla and JHADC Chief MB Rymbai were among the dignitaries who witnessed the Behdeinkhlem festival.
The festival is an annual affair to drive away plague, which represents various forms of social evils and anti-social elements.
KHNAM annoyed
The youth wing of the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) was annoyed with central government offices and institutions which worked during the state holiday of Behdienkhlam.
In a statement issued here, president of the youth wing, Thomas Passah said most of the central government offices and institutions worked on Behdienkhlam, which shows they do not honour the state’s festival.
KHNAM has urged the state government to discuss with the authorities concerned to intimate them about local festivals.