Imphal, Nov. 1: Kut, the post-harvest festival of Kuki-Chin-Mizo, was celebrated all over Manipur today.

Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh who opened this year’s state-level kut festival here, urged the people to shun a narrow outlook and follow the principles of “forgive and forget”.

The festival is being celebrated in all the districts of Manipur. The state-level celebrations were organised at the first battalion Manipur Rifles campus.

Kut is a festival where the Kuki-Chin-Mizo tribes offer prayers after a harvest. Of late, the festival has broken all ethnic and religious barriers and become one of most popular festivals of Manipur. People from all communities and religions participate in it. The fashion parade and beauty contest held as part of the celebrations have become extremely popular over the years.

The Thadou Kuki Students’ Union and the Thadou Kuki Youth Cultural Team had threatened to boycott the state-level celebrations, but the organisers bought peace with the two organisations by giving due importance to traditional items. The Thadou Kuki Students’ Union was demanding that more importance be given to cultural and traditional values.

Veteran social worker and politician Paoneikhai Suantak (81) was chosen the “kut pa” (master of ceremonies) for the state-level kut festival. Despite his old age, Suantak came here to meet the young people. He told the crowd, which mostly comprised young people, that the need of the hour was peaceful co-existence of all communities.

Trekking expedition: The Hidden Land Exploration Agency, an NGO for the promotion of tourism in Arunachal Pradesh, is organising a five-day trekking expedition from Boa Simla to Dolungmukh in Lower Subansiri district from tomorrow, reports PTI. The programme will showcase the tourism potentiality of the state.