In those times, sight of a person from our community who can guide us through the journey of settling down in the place fills us with an inexplicable joy. For fresh batch of students belonging to the Kuki community of North-east India, who joined various institutes in Hyderabad, it was the same moment of feeling assured as elders from Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Hyderabad celebrated its ‘6th Freshers’ Meet-cum-Kut Celebrations’ on Friday at Birla Science Auditorium, Lakdikapul.
Caroline, a fresher, who came to Hyderabad for the first time to pursue a nursing course in Yashoda hospital says she feels assured amidst elders of the community. “If I have any problem I have elders of the of the community to rely on,” said Caroline. To encourage freshers to mingle with members of KSO-Hyderabad, an introduction to freshers round was organised.
The auditorium was filled with rounds of applause and joyful laughter as around 350 Kukis enthusiastically cheered their fellow community members who were performing various traditional dance forms unique to them, with Kuki women dressed in Khamtang and men in Saipikhup traditional attires.
It was a moment of reminiscence for elders of the community as the meet also marked celebrations of Kut, the annual post-harvest festival, similar to Pongal. Kut is an autumn festival of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo communities of North-east India and it is a state festival of Manipur celebrated on November 1 every year. “Chavang Kut is a post-harvest festival celebrated to thank and praise God for a bountiful harvest,” shared Gabriela Chongloi, a coordinator of the meet.
Apart from the traditional dance forms, the event also saw Miss Kut contest.
Speaking about the meet based on the theme of “Celebrating Cultural Oneness”, Francis O Haokip, president, KSO-Hyderabad said, “We came here traveling very far from our home town. Such meets help us in preserving customs and culture which we practice back at home.”