TURA, Nov 19: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has said that he is awaiting response from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) pertaining to the state’s invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attending the grand event of Meghalaya’s statehood day celebrations, which is slated for January 21, 2022.
Informing this at the inaugural programme of Me’gong Festival in Babadam near Tura on Thursday, the chief minister said Meghalaya will host three events during the golden jubilee celebrations, which will put the national focus on the state.
“We have invited our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi for our statehood day celebrations that take place next year. We are awaiting a response from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO),” he said.
“This Me’gong Festival begins our golden jubilee statehood celebrations and also India’s 75 years of Independence,” an exuberant Conrad said, while elucidating the significance of the event.
With regard to the three events, the CM said, “We are going to host the North East Youth Festival, the National Table Tennis Tournament and the North East Cup.”
He also informed that the Tribal Research Institute, which is coming up at Chidekgre in Babadam, will give opportunity for research and documentation of different tribal cultures, once it is up and running.
The inauguration of Tribal Research Institute, on the other hand, has been fixed for September 1, 2022, which coincides with the birth anniversary of Purno A Sangma, the political stalwart from Garo Hills who first took the initiative to set up a centre to protect, preserve and promote the tribal way of life.
The chief minister also said informed that Me’gong Festival will be held annually in the Babadam area as the people in the region have been preserving and promoting their ethnic culture for generations.
The permanent location for the festival has been fixed at the Tribal Research Institute campus.
On Friday, participants took part in an eating competition of Sakin (rice cake) and tamarind, traditional games.
Artists from La Gota international circus lit up the night sky with their highly acrobatic skills while young girls from Garo Hills very own walked the ramp to a fashion show by Arif Mukhim.