Nyishi Day celebrated with gusto, Arunachal Dy CM Mein pats Nyishi veterans for their contributions to state

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday lauded the veterans of the Nyishi community for their efforts in bringing many visible changes in the society and appealed to the community members to remain united for the progress and prosperity of the state. Attending the Nyishi Day celebration at the Nyishi Elite Society (NES) secretariat at Richi Jullang, Mein appreciated the elders of the society who put in efforts to have the derogatory word 'Dafla removed by the central government by amending the Constitution (Schedule Tribes) Order, 1950, and modifying the list of STs by an act, the Constitution (ST) Amendment Act, 2008, under Part XVIII.

Under Entry 4, the original name Nyishi, was inserted in place of the earlier 'Dafla', and passed by both houses of parliament on March 19, 2008. It received presidential assent on April 1 of the same year. Nyishi Day is celebrated to commemorate the historic constitutional amendment replacing the exonym 'Dafla' with the original name, Nyishi.

Appreciating the initiative taken by the NES to adopt seven government-run schools in Nyishi's inhabitant districts, the deputy chief minister assured to work with the NES for the upliftment of the education, health, and entrepreneur sectors. "One should work with a policy so that other smaller communities could follow the same path," he added. "It is due to the intervention of NES that many tough situations have been amicably resolved in the past," Mein added.

Chowna Mein also sought support from the community for the betterment and development of society and urged them to preserve the age-old traditions, culture, dialects, and practices of the Nyishis to boost tourism in the state. "There should be no feelings of disparity with other tribes of the state, and rather the Nyishi community must be a model to lead other tribes of the state for advancement, progress, and prosperity with the concept of Pan-Arunachal," Mein said.

In his address, NES President Tana Showren appealed to the youth not to indulge in bad habits but instead to devote themselves to quality education and other social activities. He also appealed to the Nyishi lawmakers to contribute to society with dedication. Stating that NES has taken progressive steps with the ideal concept of self-reliance, Sworen urged the youths to take the objective of NES to the villages of Nyishi's inhabitant districts.

On the occasion, former NES president Bengia Tolum was conferred with a lifetime achievement award for his immeasurable contribution towards social causes, cultural reformation, and unifying the Nyishi tribe of the state. Posthumous awards were also handed over to the legal heirs of unsung heroes of the community, including Tana Nanna, Techi Gubin, and Langha Poju Gungli, who fought against the Britishers.