Sakewa Udhauli Puja celebrated at Legship

KUSH HANG LEEWANG
GEYZING: The Sakewa festival to mark Udhauli Puja of Rai community was celebrated by Rai community today here at Legship public ground, West Sikkim.
The festival organized by the Akhil Kirat Rai Sangh (AKRS) was attended by minister and area MLA Lok Nath Sharma as the chief guest. Chief Minister’s political secretary Jacob Khaling was the special guest on the occasion also attended by AKRS functionaries, Rai community members and others.
Sakewa is one of the important religious and cultural festivals of Rai community. It is also known as Bhumi Puja and Chandi Puja comprising a ritual offering ceremony to mother nature for healthy crops and good harvest. Amidst various religious ritual ceremonies, Rai community revere the mother earth for blessing them with a good harvest of the year.
AKRS president Chandra Khaling deliberating on objectives of celebrating Sakewa expressed that promotion and preservation of Rai community's cultural heritage was the motive behind organizing Sakewa festival. He added that Sakewa celebration was also about making the young generation aware about age old customs and culture of Rai community. He also placed various demands such as construction of Mangkhim at some places of Sikkim and others. 
Minister Sharma expressed that the demands placed by Rai community would be considered by the State government. He maintained that all the communities have equal rights to safeguard and promote their cultural heritage. Sharma stated that the SKM government would remain supportive towards all communities of the State and would work for development and prosperity of all the communities. He also informed that a rock climbing centre would be established at Legship public ground. 
CM’s political secretary Jacob Khaling maintained that SKM government has created a secular environment for all the communities of the State to practice, promote and propagate their cultural heritage. He reiterated that any person capable of leading any social organization could head such organization irrespective of their political affiliation. Khaling further stated that all the communities should be proud of their distinct identity in the forms of various cultural and religious practices and each and every community should be given equal rights to flourish in the State. Sharing that Rai community leads the population graph of Sikkim, Khaling expressed that in terms of poverty Rai is one of the backward communities of the State and the social organizations of Rai community should come forward for the upliftment and economic emancipation of the community.
The event organizing committee felicitated minister Loknath Sharma, Jacob Khaling and other eminent personalities of Rai communities on the occasion.