18th State-Level Orange Festival Ends in Tamenglong, Symbolising Peace and Communal Harmony
The 18th State-Level Orange Festival (SLOF) concluded on a celebratory note at the Mini Stadium in Tamenglong, with Manipur Chief Secretary Dr Puneet Kumar Goel, IAS, attending the closing ceremony as the chief guest. He was accompanied by his wife, Madhuri Goel, senior state and district officials, representatives of the Inpui, Rongmei, Zeme and Liangmai Naga Council Manipur (RNCM), and other community leaders.
Deputy Commissioner of Tamenglong and Chairman of the 18th SLOF, Dr L. Angshim Dangshawa, IAS, welcomed the gathering and delivered the keynote address. The closing programme featured Christmas carols performed by the United Baptist Church (Liangmai) and the Independent Church of India (Hmar), traditional dances by the Inpui community, a cultural performance by a Kuki troupe from Churachandpur, and a musical presentation by Jeanpui Kamei.
Addressing the audience, Chief Secretary Dr Goel praised the organisers for successfully uniting people from diverse communities across Manipur, describing the festival as a strong symbol of peace, unity, and hope for the future. He recalled Tamenglong’s historical legacy associated with freedom fighters Haipou Jadonang and Rani Gaidinliu, and emphasised the district’s vital role in Manipur’s citrus economy. Noting that Tamenglong accounts for more than half of the state’s orange production, he said the district truly deserves its title as the “Orange Bowl of Manipur.”
Dr Goel highlighted that the festival, which began in 2001, has steadily grown in stature. Referring to this year’s theme, “Celebration for a Cause,” he said it appropriately recognises the dedication of orange farmers. He encouraged growers to adopt modern farming techniques to improve productivity and income. He also pointed out that after Tamenglong Orange received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2017, over 350 farmers have been certified as organic, with 38 villages brought under government schemes promoting organic orange cultivation. According to him, Manipur holds immense potential in horticulture development that can benefit both farmers and entrepreneurs.
Additional Deputy Magistrate Chunglenmang Kipgen, MCS, delivered the vote of thanks and announced that the Orange Queen contest and “Tamenglong’s Got Talent” competition would commence later in the evening.
The results of the orange competition were announced during the ceremony. Hungamang Gangmei of Thingou village secured the first prize of ₹2 lakh, followed by Houtoulung Pamei of Dailong village with ₹1 lakh, and Ph Benjamin of Khongsang village who received ₹75,000.
Under the newly introduced Best Orange Orchard category, the first prize of ₹30,000 was awarded to Ejenglung Pamai of Namtiram village. The second prize of ₹20,000 went to Keinepou Panmei of Azuram, while third prizes of ₹10,000 each were awarded to Dinjinliu Kamei of Sibilong and Lungthuilung Gondaimei of Makhuam I.
Organisers and participants stressed the wider social importance of the festival. Despite recent inter-community tensions in Manipur, the Tamenglong Orange Festival succeeded in bringing together Meitei, Kuki, Hmar and various Naga communities in a shared celebration, reaffirming its role as a platform for peace, unity and social harmony in the state.
