Arunachal: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has sounded the alarm over the state’s largely undocumented indigenous cultural heritage, highlighting the urgent need to preserve both traditions and biodiversity. Speaking at a national seminar in Roing on Friday, Mein emphasised that decades after statehood, much of Arunachal Pradesh’s cultural history remains inaccessible to both residents and researchers.
“Arunachal Pradesh is incredibly rich in cultures, languages, manuscripts, and biodiversity, but our documentation efforts are still limited,” Mein said. “Traditions evolve, but they should always remain rooted in the practices and wisdom of our ancestors.”
Mein also drew attention to the rapid decline of local wildlife, including birds and animals closely linked to cultural identity. “If we do not act now, future generations may lose not only these species but also the traditions and stories connected to them,” he warned, urging immediate action to safeguard both nature and heritage.
The seminar, titled Interpreting Cultures and Traditions: Shifting the Lens, was organised by WorldFishTAC in collaboration with the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIS), Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), the International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), Arunachal Pradesh University (APU), and the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP).
Professor Yashwant Pathak of the University of South Florida, delivering the keynote address, spoke about how colonial systems disrupted indigenous knowledge worldwide. He stressed the need to reclaim native perspectives to preserve cultural practices and knowledge for future generations.
The seminar featured two plenary sessions and 21 research paper presentations. A total of 44 research paper presentations by scholars from India and abroad. Topics ranged from documenting traditional knowledge to understanding the challenges of preserving culture in a rapidly changing world. Participants highlighted that the state’s indigenous heritage cannot be preserved through academic research alone; active community participation and policy support are equally vital.
Local attendees said the seminar offered both a warning and a roadmap. “We can’t afford to lose our culture or the species that our traditions depend on,” said a community elder from Roing. “This is our history, our identity, and our responsibility.”
Deputy Chief Minister Mein’s remarks underscored the interconnectedness of culture and nature in Arunachal Pradesh, reminding policymakers, researchers, and citizens alike that safeguarding the state’s heritage requires urgent, collaborative effort before it is too late.