RONO HILLS, Sep 12: The Centre for Endangered Languages (CFEL) under Rajiv Gandhi University’s (RGU) Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies (AITS) released the trailer and the poster of the documentary The Songs We Sing, The Drums We Beat on Saturday.
Speaking on the contributions by the CFEL in preserving and maintaining the endangered languages and cultures of Arunachal, Dr Lienjang Zeite made a special reference to the Kaasik community, and presented a brief on the overall activities of the CFEL.
The director of the documentary and CFEL Documentation Officer, Kombong Darang shared his experience of being involved with the process of documentation, from being invited by the chief of Noksa village before the installation of the sacred logdrum to him being one of the main witnesses to the unique tradition that takes place once in a lifetime among the Kaasiks of the Nocte community.
After the release of the film’s trailer by RGU Vice Chancellor Prof Saket Kushwaha, CFEL coordinator Prof S Simon John said that the CFEL and the AITS are “the first to promote and produce films on indigenous traditions.”
The audience witnessed a special preview of the film, which documents the intangible cultural heritage and the installation of the sacred logdrum by the Kaasik community of the Nocte tribe of Noksa village.
Registrar (in-charge) Prof Tomo Riba congratulated the film’s director and the CFEL team for their valuable contribution, while Pro-VC Prof Amitava Mitra emphasized “the importance of such traditional artefacts to gain exposure through mass media platforms.”
Stressing on the importance of culture and tradition, Prof Kushwaha gave assurance that RGU would extend its full support to more documentation projects of this kind.
