Correspondent
RUKSIN, 5 Apr: Mopin, the main festival of the Galo community, was celebrated in Pasighat and here in East Siang district on Tuesday.
Clad in traditional attires, members of the Galo community gathered at the festival celebration ground to celebrate the festival with pomp and gaiety.
Attending the celebration in Pasighat, East Siang DC Tayi Taggu exhorted the people to preserve their culture “to keep ethnic identity intact.” He also emphasised on “protection of the mother tongue from the grip of modernity.”
East Siang ZPC Olen Rome, attending the celebration in Ruksin, said that “festive celebrations are the right platform to unite community people on a single platform for exchange of ideas and feelings.”
“Festival also carries a message of communal harmony among different communities,” he added.
Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering said that the different ethnic groups of Ruksin area joining the festivities “promote communal harmony and a sense of brotherhood.” He urged the people to “keep up the tradition and work united for overall development of the area.”
Range Forest Officer Yide Potom said that “Mopin is an occasion to pray to Mother Earth (in the form of Kiine-Nane or Pinku-Pinte) for the wellbeing of the living bodies on Earth.”
Adi Bane Kebang (Apex) vice president Omir Tatin also spoke.
Among others, former Pasighat West MLA Tatung Jamoh, the ZPMs of Ruksin, Pasighat and Mebo, senior citizens of Ruksin area, and public leaders participated in the festivity.
Mopin starts on 5 April every year, and is celebrated the whole month, as per convenience.
In Namsai, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein attended the festival at the Solung-Mopin ground, and said that the state government “will not leave any stone unturned to preserve the rich culture and traditions of our tribal people.”
Emphasising on preservation and promotion of the priest culture, he said that the indigenous affairs department has received the highest enhancement in allocation of fund of Rs 42 crores during 2021-22. He informed that “Rs 4 crores has been kept in the budget 2022-23 for payment of honorarium to the indigenous registered priests.”
Mein exhorted the young generations to “carry forward the legacy of preservation of our rich culture and traditions.
“We must be proud of our own culture and traditions which we have inherited from our forefathers,” he said.
He further said that allocation of funds for the Atmanirbhar Krishi Yojana and the Atmanirbhar Bagwani Yojana has been increased, and that three new schemes – Atmanirbhar Plantation Crops, Atmanirbhar Pashu Palan and Atmanirbhar Matsya Palan – have been introduced.
Mein assured to provide fund for the construction of a community hall at the Solung-Mopin ground, and asked the Namsai DC to prepare an estimate for the same.
Among others, MLAs Chau Zingnu Namchoom and Jummum Ete Deori, and retired IAS officer Tape Bagra spoke on the occasion.
The festival celebration committee felicitated Gunavati Namchoom Tango for providing fund for the construction of the gate at the Solung-Mopin ground in memory of her late husband. (With input from DCM’s PR Cell)
