Editor,
With 26 major tribes and more than a 100 sub-tribes, Arunachal Pradesh is a land of different cultures and tribes that exemplifies the concept of “Unity in Diversity” and is known as “mini-India.”
Because of our extreme cultural and traditional diversity, people from the eastern portion of the state are unaware of the customs and traditions of the western part, and vice versa. Furthermore, the lack of a common language for communication drives us further apart, forcing us to communicate in Hindi, particularly when interacting with members of other tribes. We feel far more connected to non-tribal people than to other Arunachalis because of language and cultural limitations that hinder our efforts to foster a sense of fraternity among our fellow Arunachalis.
It is imperative that we safeguard our delicate state against outside influences and ideologies that are slowly poisoning our customs and civilisations.
Since creating a common language will be an enormous undertaking (it appears to be), we should designate one state figure of the great personalities of the past, such as Daying Ering, then NEFA Member of Parliament, for his enormous contribution to the formation of the state in its current form. We should pick one of our state’s founding fathers, even if there were several who had equally significant contributions. Having a single state figure is essential because it will foster unity among our native tribe people. Additionally, if we pay close attention, we can see that the majority of our nation’s states, particularly those headed by regional parties, have their own state leaders/figures, which fosters a sense of unity and connection among the populace.
We may find it difficult to embrace the idea of a single state figure because each tribe has a unique culture and history, but once it is normalised and accepted by all, it will have many benefits for fostering and forming a sense of fraternity among our people. Just as we have a national hero, Father of the Nation M.K. Gandhi, for national unity, we should have a similar figure for our state that can unite its citizens. The concepts of national integration and fraternity are well known to all of us, but very few people discuss or consider them in relation to our state, which is still in its nascent and fragile stage compared to other states in the nation. To preserve and advance our state while preserving our heritage, we must take decisive action at a time.
Yiri Kamcham,
Kamcham,
Lower Siang