Ukhrul, Manipur | May 23, 2025 \u2014 In a historic moment of reconciliation and hope, a delegation of valley-based MLAs led by Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabarta attended the 5th State Level Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul, marking the first visit by Meitei legislators to the hill districts since the ethnic violence that broke out on May 3, 2023.<\/p>\n
The delegation included MLAs Kh. Raghumani (Uripok AC), L. Rameshwar (Keirao AC), Th. Radheshyam (Heirok AC), Sheikh Noorul Hassan (Kshetrigao AC), K. Robindro (Mayang Imphal AC), and T. Robindro (Thanga AC), accompanied by Speaker Th. Satyabarta (Yaiskul AC). Their journey from Imphal to Ukhrul\u2014through several Kuki-dominated areas\u2014was peaceful and unhindered, symbolizing a potential thaw in relations after nearly two years of ethnic tensions between the Kuki and Meitei communities.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A Message of Healing and Self-Reliance<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking at the Shirui Lily Heritage Centre, Speaker Th. Satyabarta delivered a passionate address calling for unity, cultural preservation, and self-reliance. Proposing an independent organizing body for the festival, he envisioned a future where local efforts could sustain the celebration without reliance on government funds. \u201cIf we have the blessings of a new government, I will make it possible,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n Recalling the challenging terrain of Ukhrul, he added, \u201cNext year, I will climb to the top\u2014with people who represent our unity\u2014so we can achieve what I couldn\u2019t alone.\u201d<\/p>\n He also praised the hospitality of the Ukhrul people and highlighted the significance of the peaceful journey. \u201cNo one stopped us, and we were warmly welcomed. We must not let this bond break,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Touching on shared historical ties, Satyabarta emphasized, \u201cThe Meitei and Tangkhul are blood brothers. We must not let that connection remain only on lips and paper. It should live in our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan: \u201cTogether, We Can Heal\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n In a heartfelt speech, Hon\u2019ble MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan echoed the festival\u2019s theme \u2014 \u201cA Day of Peace, Harmony & Unity\u201d \u2014 by urging for healing, inclusive governance, and equitable development. \u201cThis festival is not just a celebration of a flower, but of the soul of our state,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Hassan acknowledged the deep wounds left by past violence and appealed to both leaders and citizens to rebuild trust. \u201cPeace is not just the absence of conflict \u2014 it is the presence of justice, of understanding, and of shared dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n He thanked the Ukhrul community for their gracious welcome and reiterated a call for collaborative progress: \u201cTogether, we can rebuild. Together, we can heal. Together, we are Manipur.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0A Beacon of Hope Amid Past Turmoil<\/strong><\/p>\n The Shirui Lily Festival, dedicated to the rare and endangered Shirui Lily flower native to the Ukhrul hills, has become a powerful symbol of Manipur\u2019s cultural diversity and communal unity. This year\u2019s celebration stood out as a hopeful milestone\u2014an effort to bridge divides and reestablish dialogue between communities once fractured by conflict.<\/p>\n The peaceful participation of valley MLAs in a hill-district celebration may mark the beginning of a renewed chapter of unity in Manipur’s history\u2014one rooted in mutual respect, cultural pride, and shared aspirations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ukhrul, Manipur | May 23, 2025 \u2014 In a historic moment of reconciliation and hope, a delegation of valley-based MLAs led by Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabarta attended the … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3424,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,33],"tags":[52,69,1945,2085,134,2086],"class_list":["post-3423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inn","category-state","tag-manipur","tag-mla","tag-news","tag-satyabarta","tag-sheikh-noorul-hassan","tag-shirui-lily-festival-2025","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3423"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8844,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423\/revisions\/8844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichelnewsnetwork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}