We must pass our heritage to young generation: Wage
PASIGHAT, 6 Sep: The four-day central Solung festival celebration began at Gidii Notko here in East Siang district on Tuesday with traditional fervour and gaiety.
Addressing the inaugural function, IFCSAP president Katung Wage said, “We owe it to pass onto our young generation our rich cultural heritage and traditions and make them take pride in their heritage, dialects, and customs.”
“Let’s make it a practice to speak our native dialects with our children, beginning from our homes, and expose them to our festivals and cultural events,” he added.
Wage informed that the IFCSAP is “currently undertaking ‘Mission towards indigenous roots’, with the objective of protecting and documentation of our rich heritage and roots.”
He appealed to the indigenous people to preserve their age-old belief systems, folklores, folktales, customs, traditions and dialects, “and
protect them from vanishing, through documentation and various efforts.”
The IFCSAP president also invoked the blessings of Golgi Bote Talom Rukbo, the torchbearer of the indigenous faith movement.
Tagin Cultural Society vice president Tambo Tamin said that “festivals promote the spirit of oneness and community bonding.” He spoke also about the efforts of the indigenous affairs department to promote the state’s indigenous cultures.
Central Solung Festival Celebration Committee (CSFCC) president Oyin Moyong informed that “the first central Solung celebration was celebrated in 1966 in Pangin, at the initiative of Golgi Bote Talom Rukbo, and the central Solung celebration at Pasighat in 1967.”
CSFCC chief adviser and litterateur, Kaling Borang, narrated the Solung mythology “and the significance of performing Taku Tabat, Ekop to propitiate Dadi Bote, Kinenane and Doying Bote for wellbeing of mankind, prosperity and bumper harvest.”
Among others, East Siang DC Tayi Taggu, SP Sumit Kumar Jha, ADC (HQ) Taddo Borang, and IFCSAP vice president (west) Take Dakpe attended the inaugural programme. (DIPRO)
