NIRJULI, 3 Dec: The Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP) celebrated the Indigenous Faith Day with traditional fervour and gaiety at the Nyikum Niya ground here on 1 December.
Assam’s Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, who also attended the celebration, emphasized on the importance of the indigenous faith system as “the very essence of conservation of ecological balance.” He pitched for enhanced participation and involvement of all indigenous faith believers of the northeastern region in maintaining the ecological balance. In this direction, he assured to bring the CMs of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh together next year, in collaboration with his Arunachal counterpart.
Education Minister Taba Tedir spoke about the importance of the indigenous faith and exhorted one and all to “contribute their best for the preservation and promotion of the indigenous faith in the state.”
Earlier, IFCSAP president Katung Wahge in his address lamented the “slow pace of actions and innovations within the department of indigenous affairs, even after four years of its creation.” He demanded that the state government “rename the department to its originally proposed one, wherein the name ‘faith’ was omitted to the detriment of the popular aspirations and self-esteem of the lakhs of indigenous faith believers of the state.”
Wahge reiterated the IFCSAP’s demand for the state government to “take initiative in delisting of any converted person from the ST status list who is no longer connected with the indigenous way of practices,” and also demanded immediate implementation of the Freedom of Religion Act, 1978 in toto, according to a release issued by IFCSAP general secretary Tambo Tamin.
