9th edition of Amur Falcon Festival held in Tamenglong district

Context: In a bid to espouse the cause of wildlife
conservation and promote the cultural heritage of the region, the 9th Amur Falcon
Festival was celebrated today under the aegis of the Tamenglong district administration,
the Forest Department, and the Rainforest Club Tamenglong (RCT) at the Lower
Ground of Tamenglong. Tamenglong has emerged as a safe refuge for Amur falcons,
putting the district on the global map of wildlife conservation by initiating
satellite-tagged programmes. The festival commenced with the ‘Rih Laem’, a war dance,
by the Khunchung Dance Troupe, Phalong, and a cultural dance glorifying God’s
creation by the Puching Dance Troupe.

Key points

·      
Overview: The Tamenglong district administration in Manipur
imposed an immediate ban on hunting, catching, killing, and selling Amur
falcons (Falco amurensis).

·      
Culture and
People: Tamenglong is inhabited by
majority Zeliangrong Naga tribe (comprising of Rongmei, Liangmei, Zemei and
Pumei) and Kukis, besides minority Hmars, Chirus and Khasis. Racially or
physically and linguistically Zeliangrongs are Tibeto-Burman (Indo-Mongoloid)
of Sino-Tibetan family of the Mongolian race. Based on history it is assumed
that Mongoloid groups including Zeliangrong Nagas were inhabiting the upper
course of the Yangtze and Howang Ho rivers in China in the prehistoric times.

·      
Marriage
System: Besides normal marriage like
by engagement or by elopement there are also other kinds of marriage.

Noumang-mei-Nou-kao (Marriage by Service) - With the agreement of both parties the boy stay at
the girl’s parents’ house and stay for three to four years and live as husband
and wife then finally return home.

Chamemei - Here a girl is given in marriage even against her consent to a family
to whom the girls parent is in debt or some obligations.

Naokakhaomei - In an accidental death of a man, the nearest next brother will look
after the children and remarry the wife of his brother.

·      
Amur
falcon: It is a small raptor of the
falcon family. Locally known as Akhuipuina, the bird arrives mainly in Manipur
and Nagaland. They breed in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China and
migrate long distances in large flocks to winter in Southern and East Africa. The
one-way journey via India is about 20,000 km long and the birds do this twice a
year.

Conservation efforts - It is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and included
under its Schedule IV. Hunting of the birds or possessing its meat is
punishable with imprisonment up to three years or a fine up to 25,000 or with
bonds. In 2018, the forest department started a conservation programme by
radio-tagging the birds to study their migratory route.

Threats -
Illegal trapping and killing during migration, habitat loss from agricultural
practices and land reclamation.