Kohima: The picturesque Naga Heritage Village at Kisama, the main venue for Nagaland's iconic Hornbill festival, wore a deserted look on Monday as the government cancelled the day's events in the wake of the killing of civilians by security forces in Mon district.
The Hornbill festival, an annual ten-day extravaganza in which several tribes of the state showcase their traditions, began on December 1.
The government is undecided to continue with the festival or cancel it for the remaining four days, an official said.
Expressing anger over the killing of civilians in Mon, six tribes under Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) and a few other tribes decided to refrain from participating in the cultural programmes.
Konyak Union, the apex body of the Konyak tribe, to which the slain civilians belonged, also withdrew from the festival.
Subsequently, almost all the tribal bodies decided not to participate in the carnival till further notice.
Later, the state government notified that the programmes would remain suspended on Monday.
The entire vicinity of Kisama wore a deserted look with only police personnel present.
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The gala event is being held across four districts. The major programmes include the Hornbill music festival, Nagaland literature and film festival, mountain biking, and the Hornbill bamboo festival.
The Naga Students' Federation and the Naga Club appealed to the state government to cancel programmes for the remaining days of the festival.
They also urged the tribes not to participate in the events as it is a time for mourning.
"The tourism department, the main organiser of the festival, has been caught in a fix as the state government is yet to take a final call to go ahead with or cancel events from December 7," the official said.
The state cabinet members are likely to meet on Tuesday morning to take a final call on the remaining programmes of the Hornbill festival, sources said.
At least 14 civilians and one soldier were killed in firing by security forces in a botched anti-insurgency operation and retaliatory violence within 24 hours in Mon district of the state, as per police.
The Nagaland Adventure Club (NAC), however, announced cancellation of the 2nd edition of Great Hornbill Adventure Trail (GHAT) 2021, scheduled from December 7 to 9.
The Western Angami ‘D' Sports Association also decided to postpone the traditional stone pulling ceremony scheduled for Tuesday at Peducha on the outskirts of the capital town.
PTI
