Festival Connects Tribal Communities With Their Roots: Khandu

CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday said that the indigenous festival is a medium to connect tribal communities with their roots. Khandu said this while gracing the Solung festival of the Adi community at Ruksin in the East Siang district of the state.

"Indigenous festivals are not only occasions to showcase our rich cultural heritage but an opportunity to strengthen our connection with our roots," Khandu said.

Citing that tribal culture in many countries across the globe has shrunk to the level of being mere tourism material, Chief Minister expressed happiness that Arunachal Pradesh still has its indigenous cultural heritage alive and thriving, a CMO release informed here.

"What is encouraging is that our youths today are taking pride in their culture, voluntarily participating in festivals like Solung and speaking in their mother tongue. Our identity is in safe hands!" he observed. While modernity and development are inevitable, Khandu asserted that it should not be at the cost of the state's rich and varied cultural identity.

He lauded the Adi community for leading from the front when it comes to preserving its culture while embracing development on all fronts. Reiterating his call for war against drug abuse, Khandu said that the menace is a great threat to the future of youths. He urged the elders and youths of the area to keep vigil and prevent the entry of any kind of abusive substances into the Ruksin area. Talking about the development, the chief minister said that the Pasighat area has witnessed unprecedented development in recent years.

"The Pasighat airport is functional and comes this winter, work of the railway line to Pasighat will also commence. Then the rich and organic horticulture and agriculture produce, which abounds in the region, can be transported to markets across the country and beyond," he pointed out.

Khandu assured that the state government is alive to all voices of the community and youth-based organizations and that the state government is committed to incorporating these in making important policy decisions.

"Arunachal is a diverse state with so many tribes, therefore development of the state depends on the equal development of all the tribes. The contribution of each community in policy decisions is important for pan Arunachal development," he said and asserted that the state government is committed to the welfare of each community and development of each district, each constituency. Khandu announced sanctioning funds for the construction of a mini-secretariat at Ruksin.

Earlier in the day, the chief minister inaugurated the 60-metre RCC bridge over the Sille river on Miriam-Mikong-Jonai road while Lok Sabha MP from the state Tapir Gao inaugurated the 22-metre RCC bridge over Ngorlung river on Miriam-Mikong- Ruksin road.

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