Cultural festival to promote harmony between Assam and Nagaland

Jorhat (Assam), May 13 (ANI): Keen to promote friendship and harmony between Assam and Nagaland, people from the two states assembled in Assam's Jorhat District to celebrate a cultural festival.

The two-day festival began on Tuesday and concluded on Wednesday. t was celebrated with a procession at Deberapara village.

"We have organised the programme for strengthening the brotherhood and integration between people of Assam and Nagaland," said Gautam Gogoi, a member of the organising committee.

The two states have a long-standing border dispute, which often results in many clashes.

"We always want to bring the peace between the people living nearby Nagaland border as well as the people of Nagaland," said Deepak Tanti, Vice President of All Assam Tea Tribe Students' Union (AATTSU), Jorhat unit.

The procession went across the Naga foothills, and also covered many villages in Assam over a distance of six to seven kilometers.

After the procession, tribal dances of Nagaland, Assam's Bihu dance and Jhumur dances, as well as many dances by the Mising and Deuri tribes, were performed.

The cultural festival was organized by Deberapara Bihu Committee, the All Assam Tea Tribe Students' Union (AATTSU) and the Deberapara Police Outpost.

The dispute between Assam and Nagaland is said to be the most prominent.

Both states have accused each other of illegally occupying each other's territories. Assam claims that Nagaland has annexed more than 50,000 hectares of its territory. (ANI)