Kohima: Ao residents in Signal Angami village, Dimapur, hit the streets Thursday morning to jumpstart a tradition. They held a massive social work drive to mark the upcoming Tsüngremmung festival. Work is hard. They spent the past week hacking back weeds along the main road, clearing blocked drainage channels, and hauling trash from public spaces.
Festivals like Moatsü and Tsüngremmung once demanded sweat equity. Villages used to spend the eve of these events cleaning water sources, public paths, and the routes leading to paddy fields. That old ethic faded. Elders worry the youth lost the plot. "The younger generation has come to believe that festivals are only for enjoyment without work," community leaders observed.
They want to flip the script. The drive aims to bridge the gap between feasting and labor. Tsüngremmung serves as the main pre-harvest festival for the Ao Naga tribe. It traditionally lands in the first week of August. This year, the community chose to reclaim the labor, not just the party.
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