The 4th edition of the Cucumber Festival in Aliba village, Mokokchung district, received a political boost on Wednesday with the presence of Temjen Imna Along, Minister of Tourism and Higher Education, who announced that the festival will now be included in the official tourism festival itinerary of Nagaland.
“Festivals like the Hornbill are successful due to a fixed date,” Along said, suggesting that the Cucumber Festival adopt a fixed timing on the calendar. He claimed that more dignitaries had intended to attend but were unable to due to “certain circumstances.”
The festival, hosted in a village that has branded itself under the “One Village, One Product” initiative, was lauded by the Minister as a model village. Aliba’s focus on cucumber cultivation aligns with the government’s agriculture policy, which encourages villages to specialize in a single crop for self-reliance and marketability. For instance, Khonoma has a garlic festival, Jakhama a potato festival, and Phek a kiwi or persimmon festival.
Describing this phase as an “incubation period,” Along urged farmers to show “commitment and consistency” and expressed hope that agricultural produce in Nagaland can be transformed into viable cash crops. He warned against the culture of imitation.
“We don’t see success because we only do what others successfully do,” he said.
Along also hailed Aliba village for making Nagaland proud. He said, “hardwork” was the reason why top officials from certain department have been able to visit the village.
“In more than 2000 villages, this is just the beginning of a very long journey for the people of the state of Nagaland”.
He added, “We have a tourism festival itinerary… whether it’s a new Mini Hornbill or Agro-Tourism. So the tourism department has now included the Aliba Cucumber Festival on its circuit itinerary.”
When asked about the advantage of this inclusion, he replied, “You’ll have a bigger platform as the government recognizes it. Tourists are sent here, and then it’s channelized like that.”
Source: Mokokchung Times
