LONGDING, 17 Feb: Oriah festival was celebrated in Longding district headquarters and other administrative headquarters on 16 February.
At the celebration here, Nampong MLA Laisam Simai, who along with Longding-Pumao MLA Tanpho Wangnaw and others attended the festivity, lauded “the rich, beautiful and vibrant culture of the Wancho tribe,” and said that “it is important to preserve our tradition and culture while enjoying the fruits of development.”
“Tirap, Changlang and Longding (TCL) districts remained underdeveloped for long and could not grow at the desirable pace, owing to various reasons. However, the time has come to take TCL forward instead of blaming one another, rising above political affiliations, and think for the common good,” he added.
He said also that “Chief Minister Pema Kandu has agreed to provide additional funds from the state funds to address the issue in Longding district.”
“Longding is a beautiful district, with rich flora and fauna, and we need to work on the preservation of wildlife and ecology. Also, it is important to fight against the drug menace which has given a bad name to the region,” he said, and stated that the youths could play a crucial role in the fight against drug abuse and peddling.
Simai said also that the people of the TCL region “need to hospitable, and for that, necessary awareness needs to be created,” adding that “for addressing the accommodation issues, homestays need to be encouraged.”
“Special emphasis will be given on the new tourist circuit in the region through a separate TCL tourism plan which the government is working on,” he informed.
DoTCL Director Ranphoa Ngowa also highlighted the importance of tourism promotion.
AAPSU president Dozi Tana Tara spoke about the importance of tradition and culture and learning one’s mother tongue.
Wangnaw recited the Oriah mythology.
The festival was celebrated also in Wakka, Pongchau, Kanubari, Chubam, and Pumao. (DIPRO)
