NEW DELHI, 27 Sep: A documentary titled The Living Heritage of Arunachal: Beauty in Diversity was premiered on the occasion of the World Tourism Day here on Tuesday.
“The documentary was part of the United States government’s programme through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation to work with tribe members from 39 villages across the state to preserve and document their heritage through a series of short documentary films,” stated a release.
The United States Mission in India joined representatives
from the tourism ministry’s Northeast regional office and the UNESCO’s International Information and Network for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific (ICHCAP) at an event to celebrate the intangible cultural heritage of the indigenous tribes of Arunachal by launching a website, www.arunachallivingheritage.com.
The event also featured films, performances, exhibitions, and demonstrations showcasing the traditional cultures of Arunachal.
In his remarks, US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Brian Heath said, “As the United States and India celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, it’s important also to highlight the wealth of stories and experiences that come together to make our societies what they are today. The United States is proud to support Arunachal Pradesh’ culture, ensuring preservation of its intangible heritage.”
ICHCAP Director General Jisung Kim commented: “Safeguarding the cultural heritage of the communities is an essential and necessary requirement for sustainable development.
“In addition, documentation and video recording is becoming important as a means of education for future generations, along with the development of technology. Through films, we can remember and preserve the lives and voices of our ancestors much better,” Kim said.
The event was organised by Kolkata (WB)-based NGO Contact Base, in partnership with the Northeast regional office of the union tourism ministry.
Local field research was made possible by Arunachal’s tourism department.
