NAMSAI, 26 May: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein exhorted the elders and the elites of the society to “pass down the rich legacy of culture and traditions to the younger generation,” and appealed to the younger generation to pass it on to their progenies.
The DCM was speaking during an international conference on ‘Teachings of Buddha and their current relevance’, organised by the World Education Mission at the Arunachal University of Studies (AUS) here on Thursday.
The three-day conference is being organised to mark the decennial celebration of the founding of the AUS.
“In the era of globalisation, the preservation of culture and tradition, especially of the tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh, is crucial,” Mein said.
He explained the way of life and the culture of the Tai Khamtis, the Tai Ahoms, the Tai Phakes and the Tai Turungs, and said that “the community has the script of its own language since time immemorial.”
The DCM informed that the Mahabharata and the Ramayana have also been written in the Tai Khamti script, “which signifies the richness of the Tai Khamti language.”
He lauded the AUS for introducing the department of Buddhist studies, which is offering courses in Buddhist studies, such as diploma course in the Pali language, and BA, MA and PhD courses in Buddhist studies.
Also present on the occasion was World Education Mission president Ashwani Lochan, who said, “Ten years is a very short span of time for any institution. However, I am thankful to the people of Arunachal Pradesh who wholeheartedly supported the university from its initial phase. The sole purpose of this conference is to bring delegates from various parts of India as well as South Asia to show the importance of the teachings of Lord Buddha.”
He informed that “all Buddhist education programmes offered by the university are conducted under the Nang Iksha Mein Scholarship Programme, wherein the entire tuition fees of students are borne by the World Education Mission.”
Various Buddhist philanthropists and bhikkhus were felicitated with awards and certificates of appreciation by Dr Lye Ket Yong, who also presented papers on the theme ‘The current relevance of Buddhism by academic scholars from various parts of India and South Asia’. (DCM’s PR Cell)
