NAHARLAGUN, 11 Jan: A documentary titled Cultural Heritage of Adis, prepared by the Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions, Cultures & Heritage (RIWATCH), was released on Tuesday by Health Minister Alo Libang.
The 31-minute documentary is a part of the project sanctioned by the department of indigenous affairs (DIA) to document the cultural heritage of the Adis. It depicts the rich cultural values, ways of worship, different dance forms, rituals, ornaments, knowledge of herbal medicines and the folksongs that speak about the history and migration of the Adis.
“There is an urgent need of documenting various facets of our cultural life before it gets extinct. Each aspect needs to be documented and elaborated separately. Our language, dance forms, agricultural system, art of weaving, etc, should be recorded audio-visually and published for the benefit of younger generation,” said Libang.
“Covering different aspects of 14 sub-groups of Adis in one documentary is really a challenge. It becomes very lengthy, hence it should be in small segments, maybe on each group separately,” RIWATCH Executive Director Vijay Swami said.
Dambuk MLA Gum Tayeng, Planning Commissioner Prashant Lokhande, DIA Secretary Remo Kamki, DIA Director Tayi Taggu, former chief information commissioner Joram Begi, the RIWATCH chairman and representatives of the Adi Bane Kebang were present at the function.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and Indigenous Affairs Minister Taba Tedir conveyed their best wishes on the occasion and gave assurance that the government is committed to preserve and document the rich cultural heritage of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
Earlier, an MoU was signed between the DIA and the RIWATCH “for grant assistance by government of Arunachal Pradesh to strengthen various activities of RIWATCH,” the institute informed in a release. (DIPR)
