Willong Community fishing held

IMPHAL, April 7: The Willong Community Fishing (KAjoi) has become an annual endeavor of the Maram Students’ Union, MKS. According to a statement of the MKS, this year, too, the annual event of Fishing (Kajoi) took place on March 27 at Barak River to observe the practices of forefathers’ traditional belief for the well-being of Villagers and good harvest at agricultural activities.

Willong village is on the Maram-Peren Road, 35 kms west of NH-2 and 12 Kms North of the Barak River. Willong Community fishing is shortly followed by Mangkang, the premier festival of Maram Women folks. Around 2000 locals  took part at this year’s community fishing. Willong village is on the Maram-Peren Road, 35 kms west of NH-2 and 12 Kms North of the Barak River, the statement said.

It said “In the parlance of traditional perspective, the ‘substances’ mixed in the river and activities employed for fishing purposes clean up/filtrate elements of the river as they flow along the stretch. It is believed failure to sustain the tradition in a year (usually in the month of March/April) brings misfortunes to the people”.

“As the villagers gear up for fishing they keep an eye on the river stretch belonging to them so that others do not fish during the season.”

Elaborating on the practice, it said “Prior to the day, male members go to jungles in search of tree-barks(tii-king/kii-shing) and creepers(kii-lang/kii-shii). Enroute to village, female folks assist in carrying the loads and powdered the tree-bark. Creepers are placed in the river on the day”.

“Early on the fishing day, male members haul and carry the powdered tree-bark and proceed down the river who are again enlightened by the women assisting to carry the loads along the village route”.

“Meanwhile, every male prepare their own traditional ‘sticks’ which are later used to thrash the creepers. It’s genna to consume meat of wild animals (fermented) on this day”, it said.

“Only two males-one each belonging to sapsiimai and sagongmei – who are considered as honest, charitable and sociable persons perform the symbolic rituals of thrashing creepers that would produce juices and throwing of powered tree-bark in the river. Only when the two got their first catch do other village members follow suits. Traditionally, fishes are caught with bare-hands, or by using bamboo-baskets of varying sizes and by scything the fishes with sharp weapon (dao)”, it said.

Before noon-time breakfast, almost every catch is offered to women, young girls, children and sisters who have got married in that year. By evening time, when the women and children leave the river, individuals and peer groups continue to fish for themselves till late at night.