Valley MLAs Break Barriers, Call for Unity and Peace at 5th Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul
Ukhrul, Manipur | May 23, 2025 — 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.
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—through several Kuki-dominated areas—was peaceful and unhindered, symbolizing a potential thaw in relations after nearly two years of ethnic tensions between the Kuki and Meitei communities.
A Message of Healing and Self-Reliance
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. “If we have the blessings of a new government, I will make it possible,” he declared.
Recalling the challenging terrain of Ukhrul, he added, “Next year, I will climb to the top—with people who represent our unity—so we can achieve what I couldn’t alone.”
He also praised the hospitality of the Ukhrul people and highlighted the significance of the peaceful journey. “No one stopped us, and we were warmly welcomed. We must not let this bond break,” he said.
Touching on shared historical ties, Satyabarta emphasized, “The Meitei and Tangkhul are blood brothers. We must not let that connection remain only on lips and paper. It should live in our hearts.”
MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan: “Together, We Can Heal”
In a heartfelt speech, Hon’ble MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan echoed the festival’s theme — “A Day of Peace, Harmony & Unity” — by urging for healing, inclusive governance, and equitable development. “This festival is not just a celebration of a flower, but of the soul of our state,” he said.
Hassan acknowledged the deep wounds left by past violence and appealed to both leaders and citizens to rebuild trust. “Peace is not just the absence of conflict — it is the presence of justice, of understanding, and of shared dreams.”
He thanked the Ukhrul community for their gracious welcome and reiterated a call for collaborative progress: “Together, we can rebuild. Together, we can heal. Together, we are Manipur.”
A Beacon of Hope Amid Past Turmoil
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’s cultural diversity and communal unity. This year’s celebration stood out as a hopeful milestone—an effort to bridge divides and reestablish dialogue between communities once fractured by conflict.
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—one rooted in mutual respect, cultural pride, and shared aspirations.