President of India Droupadi Murmu on Thursday morning visited Kigwema village in Kohima district, the final programme on the itinerary of her maiden visit to the state of Nagaland.

At Kigwema, which is around 16 kms from the capital, the President was received by the State Governor Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Cabinet Ministers, members of the Village councils and elders of the village.

The programme, held at the Village Council Hall, began with the National Anthem played by the Central Brass Band, Nagaland Police.

Balie Kere, Chairman of Kigwema Village Council (KVC), on behalf of the people of Kigwema, conveyed gratitude to the president for visiting their village. Kere took the opportunity to request the President to transform a playground situated between Zakhama military station and the village into a national-level facility, stating that the playground is shared by the villagers and army personnel.

The Chairman of KVC also said that the villagers had wished for National Highway-2 to be upgraded into a four-lane highway to the former President late Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam when he visited the area in 2002. He urged for President Murmu’s intervention so that the request materialises.

The Chief Minister of Nagaland briefly shared about the history of the village and the hardships the villagers endured during World War II at the hands of the Japanese troops who had stationed there.

Located at the foothill of Mt Japfü, the second highest peak in Nagaland and surrounded by virgin forests, Kigwema is inhibited by around 7,500 people, the CM said. He also mentioned that the village won the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar as the best village in 2021.

Calling Kigwema the real traditional village, Rio said that the Hornbill Festival is celebrated in their land and as hosts, the village welcomes and accommodates people not only from the Northeast region or from India but from all around the world.

Rio added that the folk songs, traditional fusion and cultural show witnessed on Wednesday evening at the Cultural Programme in Kohima were just glimpses of the Hornbill Festival, inviting the President and her entourage to visit Nagaland during the festivities.

The students of Government High School Kigwema Village presented a song for the President and the guests on the occasion, while the women’s group of the area performed a folk song.

President Murmu, who was accompanied by her daughter, had a brief but intimate interaction with women from Self Help Groups (SHGs) of Kigwema village. The SHGs, in coordination with the Rural Development Department, had exhibited various traditional attires, local and organic produce, and also displayed the traditional process of shawl weaving and yarn winding.

Prior to her visit to Kigwema village, President Murmu visited Kohima War Cemetery and laid a wreath in memory of the fallen heroes of the Second World War.

The President concluded her visit to Nagaland and departed for Mizoram for a two-day official visit.