Context: The 25th edition of Nagaland’s famed Hornbill Festival began on December 1, 2024 at the scenic Kisama Heritage Village in Kohima, Nagaland.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims- Key facts about Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival.
About Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival:
- The Hornbill Festival is Nagaland's largest public event.
- Organised by: Nagaland government since 2000.
- Aim: To boost tourism by showcasing Naga heritage and culture, and act as a unifying force within the state.
- The festival acts as an umbrella of the major festivals celebrated by the 14 recognised Naga tribes in the state, each replete with its own traditions and practices.
- It is the only time when ‘Thutse or local rice beer’ is openly sold (within the festival venue) with the consent of the state government, in the otherwise dry state.
Recent Controversy related to the sale of Alcohol:
- Liquor Prohibition Law in Nagaland:
- The Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act 1989 puts complete prohibition on liquor sale in the state.
- It is backed by the Church and the state’s apex women’s organisation (the Naga Mothers’ Association).
- Historical Insights:
- In Nagaland, there is a constant tussle between the Church and the organisers as a struggle to define the Naga ethnic identity vis-a-vis Christian identity.
- Brewing of rice beer was widely practised among Nagas, before the arrival of American Baptists to Nagaland in the 1870s.
- The Baptists introduced new moral codes to a state where consumption of alcohol was painted as sinful behaviour with strict penalties for converts.
- Today, 87% of the state’s population is Christian (a majority of whom are Baptists). However, the preparation and consumption of rice beer has continued.
- Present Controversy:
- The state government has proposed review of the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act 1989. It has granted permission to tourists and stall owners to use Indian-made Foreign Liquor within the festival venue.
- This move has been opposed by the influential church bodies who have long contested against making alcohol and traditional rice beer, publicly available.