The 18th State Level Orange Festival (SLOF) concluded today at the Mini Stadium, Tamenglong, highlighting the district’s emergence as a hub of organic citrus cultivation, with over 350 orange growers certified as organic and 38 villages brought under government-supported schemes to promote organic orange orchards in hill areas.
The closing ceremony was graced by Chief Secretary Dr Puneet Kumar Goel as the chief guest, along with Madhuri Goel.
Senior state officials present included Vivek Kumar Dewangan, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture/TAH); Dr Shailesh Kumar Chourasia, Commissioner (Power/Coop); Worshang Hungyo, Secretary (Tourism/PHE); K. Diana, Director (Transport); and Ng. Jogendra, Joint Secretary (PHE).
Representatives of the Inpui, Rongmei, Zeme and Liangmai Naga Council Manipur (RNCM), along with district-level officers, also attended the programme.
Chairman of the 18th SLOF and Deputy Commissioner, Tamenglong, Dr L. Angshim Dangshawa, IAS, delivered the welcome and keynote address.
The cultural programme featured Christmas carols by the United Baptist Church (Liangmai) and the Independent Church of India (Hmar), traditional performances by the Inpui tribe, a Kuki cultural troupe from Churachandpur, and a melody performance by Jeanpui Kamei.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Secretary Dr Goel congratulated the organisers for successfully bringing together diverse communities from across the state, describing the festival as “a beacon of peace, harmony and unity” and “a hope for a better future.”
Recalling Tamenglong’s legacy linked to freedom fighters Haipou Jadonang and Rani Gaidinliu, he underlined the district’s importance in Manipur’s horticulture sector, noting that Tamenglong produces over 50 per cent of the state’s oranges and is rightly known as the “Orange Bowl of Manipur.”
Dr Goel said the festival, which began in 2001, has steadily grown in stature, and this year’s theme, “Celebration for a Cause,” appropriately honours orange growers. He urged farmers to adopt modern technologies to enhance productivity. Highlighting that Tamenglong Orange received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2017, he said organic certification has significantly expanded, with the government actively promoting organic orange orchards in hill areas to strengthen farmers’ livelihoods. He added that Manipur holds strong potential for horticulture-led growth benefiting both farmers and entrepreneurs.
Additional Deputy Magistrate Chunglenmang Kipgen, MCS, proposed the vote of thanks and announced that the Orange Queen contest and Tamenglong’s Got Talent would commence later in the evening.
During the ceremony, the results of the orange competition were declared and prizes distributed. Hungamang Gangmei of Thingou village won the first prize of ₹2,00,000, followed by Houtoulung Pamei of Dailong village with the second prize of ₹1,00,000, and Ph Benjamin of Khongsang village securing the third prize of ₹75,000.
For the newly introduced Best Orange Orchard awards, Ejenglung Pamai of Namtiram village bagged the first prize of ₹30,000, Keinepou Panmei of Azuram won the second prize of ₹20,000, while Dinjinliu Kamei of Sibilong and Lungthuilung Gondaimei of Makhuam I jointly received third prizes of ₹10,000 each.
Participants and organisers also noted the festival’s wider social relevance. Despite recent inter-community tensions in the state, the Tamenglong Orange Festival brought together Meitei, Kuki, Hmar and various Naga communities on a common platform, reaffirming its role in fostering communal harmony and peaceful coexistence in Manipur.
