Zhophao deterred indefinitely

IMPHAL | Oct 25

The Nagalim Tours (TNT) has deferred the proposed date of a next-gen festival called “Freedom Festival: Zhophao” to be held from October 27 to 30 at Zhophao, Senapati district, Manipur indefinitely and the necessary advance payment of the customers shall be all refunded within 15 working days.

A release signed by TNT managing director, Veilou Veino said that it is very sad to learn that a particular village/section is against the tourist visiting the festival and the organisers had no clue that the venue is a disputed area.

It said that a team of TNT went to the venue for spot enquiry and there were many people settled in and around the valley, so the team enquired and asked if a festival with the plan can be organised, the settlers in the valley were so warm and welcoming to the plan. Henceforth, the name “Zhophao” as told by the settlers was mentioned in the event’s promos, it added.

According to the notification published in some regional dailies where the Kaibi village triggered a target on the tourist/guests, it said adding that “We are shocked that an advanced Naga village has such ideology of not accepting tourist for nothing else but ‘ism’. We would have mutually come to an understanding where the organisers and the opposing village could promote tourism together but the threat to the tourist and the information came very late at the eleventh hour”.

Stating that TNT and the well-wishers have been promoting vigorously since three months ahead of the event but none came up opposing to it but encouraged, it said, “To our surprise we came across notifications from the village authority opposing to the event only on October 8 and that our customers will be attacked by the said village”.

The publication/notification mentioned that the intention of the organisers is doubted but the intention of the village is in fact also doubted by the organisers on targeting personally as the threat to customers were made and that the discontent on the organisers came only at the last hour, it added.

The release said that they have one objective which is promoting the probable tourist hotspots of Nagas and not any particular sub tribes of Nagas and their operation expands even across the imaginary international border and let the Nagas on the eastern areas be explored and vice versa.

Further it said that one of the customers quoted as saying, “Objection to such initiatives definitely dilutes the creativity of our young minds of their entrepreneurial acumen and discourages them from social engineering.”