Even decades after statehood, Arunachal’s indigenous cultural history remains undocumented: DyCM

Itanagar, Dec 19 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Friday said there was an urgent need to preserve indigenous cultures, ancient manuscripts and biodiversity through systematic documentation and digitalisation.

Inaugurating a three-day international seminar on 'Interpreting cultures and traditions: Shifting the Lens' at the Research Institute of World's Ancient Traditions, Cultures and Heritage (RIWATCH) at Roing, Mein said that while festivals may adapt to modern elements, they must remain rooted in indigenous customs and traditions.

He stressed that the cultural history of Arunachal Pradesh's indigenous communities is yet to be comprehensively written, even decades after statehood, and must be made accessible to audiences within and outside the state, a statement said.

He also drew attention to the rapid decline of animal and bird species in the state, warning that the loss of biodiversity would also erode cultural practices closely linked to nature.

"If the present generation fails to act now, future generations will be deprived of both biodiversity and the cultural traditions associated with it," Mein said.

The seminar has been organised by non-profit RIWATCH in association with the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS) Kolkata, Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) in Itanagar, the International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), Arunachal Pradesh University (APU), and the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP).

In his keynote address, professor Yashwant Pathak of the University of South Florida traced how colonial processes dismantled indigenous cultures worldwide and argued for reclaiming native perspectives in the study and preservation of traditions.

The seminar will continue till December 21 and features five plenary sessions.

As many as 44 research papers are being presented by scholars from India and abroad, focusing on indigenous cultures, traditional knowledge systems and the challenges of cultural preservation in the contemporary world. PTI UPL UPL SOM