Maj. Gen. U.K. Gurung presents a shawl to actress R.K. Hemabati Devi in Imphal on Monday. Telegraph picture

Imphal, Oct. 31: Assam Rifles inspector-general (south) Maj. Gen. U.K. Gurung and his officers today assumed the role of fathers and brothers to Manipuri ningols (women) to celebrate the Ningol Chakkouba festival at the Assam Rifles headoffice, Mantripukhri, on the outskirts of Imphal.

The Assam Rifles invited about 100 women and girls, including artistes and prominent personalities of different communities and in keeping with the festival’s tradition, to a sumptuous lunch and presented them with gifts as tokens of love.

Ningol Chakkouba is a unique festival of Manipur where fathers and brothers invite married daughters and sisters to their homes during this festival, entertain them with lavish feasts and present them gifts to show their love.

In exchange, the daughters and sisters pray for their fathers and brothers’ good health and prosperity.

The festival was observed on October 28, but those families that could not observe the festival on that day because of various reasons, celebrated it on other days during this season.

“The idea behind hosting this festival and inviting the women belonging to different communities today is to felicitate Manipuri women, whose contribution to the society is immense. It is also to show our commitment in helping them to usher in peace in the state,” Maj. Gen. Gurung said.

He said the people of Nepal also celebrated a similar festival, but he did not miss the Nepali festival in Nepal as he could celebrate Ningol Chakkouba here in Manipur today.

Other Assam Rifles and army units also organised the festival by inviting women of their localities in the past few days. The involvement of the central forces in the festival is seen as an attempt to win the hearts of the Manipuri women in the fight against militants.

Addressing the gathering, Maj. Gen. Gurung urged Manipuri women to take the lead in the efforts to restore and peace and harmony in the state. “It is the people who should fight the militants,” he said.

Those invited to the programme included well known artiste Padma Shri Ksh. Thourani Shabi Devi, former chairman Manipur Women Commission Ch. Jamini Devi and Valley Rose, the editor of a Tangkhul daily.

To create the traditional environment, some Assam Rifles personnel donned traditional dhoti-kurta and some of the officers’ wives wore traditional Manipuri apparel.

Well-known singers Sarita Gajmir and Ranbir Thouna also presented songs during the programme.

Those invited could not have been happier. All of them expressed their gratitude to the Assam Rifles for inviting them to the programme. The women also wished the Assam Rifles personnel happy and long lives.

“Ningol Chakkouba is a good culture of the Meiteis. Other communities could adopt it for strengthening the bond within families,” Valley Rose said.