Tagin community celebrates Si-Donyi fest in Arunachal

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Considering the commonness of languages, practices, rituals of Tani tribes, including Mishings of Assam, Mishing Autonomous Council (MAC) chief executive member Paramananda Chayengia on Sunday made a fervent call to unite all of them as Tani group for global identify.

Addressing huge gathering of Si-Donyi Festival revelers at Si-Donyi Jaaring in Naharlagun, near here, he said that “we are born from the same root with same blood lineage with full faith in Donyi-Polo though separated due to social or political reasons.

Their common language could be developed as a modern one for our global identity,” he said without mincing any words to the thunderous applause of the gathering and lauded large participation of younger generation which, he said, proves that “there is no threat to our identity”.

“Respecting me during this festival by Tagins amounts to respecting Mishing community”, he said while recalling that he was born, educated in Arunachal Pradesh as his father and mothers were serving in this state during 1960s for which he is physically and mentally inked to this Himalayan state.

Though alien cultures had posed a serious threat to age-old cultures, language and practices of Mishing community, but they realized soon that they would lose their identity soon if bold steps are not taken to conserve and preserve their identity, he said.

He recalled that during a meeting at the initiative of MAC at Itanagar in December last attended by representatives of various local indigenous communities, a coordinate committee was formed with Tonyi Pertin as convenor to unite all Tani groups.

The indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh would continue to face threat to their identity until and unless they strengthen their cultures and religions, said department of indigenous affairs chairman Nabam Atum as guest of honour.

He apprehended that the younger generations are turning their back towards the rituals and concentrating on entertainment aspects only for which the rituals are slowly diminishing. He stressed on immediate documentation of all age-old rituals of all tribes of the state before the senior priests leave this mortal world with their invaluable knowledge.

Earlier, Si-Donyi Festival Celebration Committee Capital Complex (SDFCCCC)-2019 secretary Tameng Kamsar, while highlighting the mythology of the festival celebrated since time immemorial, said that the belief, faith, cultural fabric and philosophy of Tagin life, handed down by forefathers through folklore hymns, by priests in oral form from generation to generation which forms the spiritual knowledge base of the community. Young and old in their best attires performed traditional dances to appease Si-Donyi for bestowing peace and prosperity on the community.

Also Read: Arunachal Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra, CM Pema Khandu extend Si-Donyi festival Greetings