ITANAGAR, 1 Dec: The Indigenous Faith Day 2025 was celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion across the state.
In Itanagar, the celebration saw enthusiastic participation from the indigenous faith community at Nyokum Lapang.
Former IFCSAP president Dr Ligu Tacho and IFCSAP vice president Bai Taba attended the programme. They collectively emphasised the importance of safeguarding Arunachal’s indigenous belief systems, rituals and cultural practices for future generations.
In Lower Subansiri district, the Apatani Danyi Piilo Meder Nello Council (ADPMNC) led the celebrations in Ziro under the aegis of the IFCSAP Lower Subansiri unit. The programme emphasised the preservation of Apatani culture, traditions and spiritual practices, especially among the younger generation.
The event began with Diima Hama performed by students of Gurukul School, Ziro, invoking blessings prior to the formal proceedings.
ADPMNC president Dani Yubbe highlighted youth participation in cultural protection.
Popi wing chairman Dr Mudang Elyu also spoke.
Cultural teams from Danyi Piilo Meder Nello Siilang Ditting, VKV Ziro, Supung Meder Nello, Mising Cultural Group, Abotani Vidya Niketan, Paph Meder Nell, and Kokko Meder Nello presented devotional cultural performances.
MLA Hage Appa and Lower Subansiri DC Oli Perme, former minister Tage Taki, IFCSAP Lower Subansiri district unit president Hage Obin and Hage Kojeen were also present.
Several national and international awardees were honoured, along with posthumous awards to late Lod Kojee, late Millo Lampung and late Takhe Diibo as a part of the celebration.
In Bilat in East Siang district, Indigenous Affairs Minister Mama Natung and IFCSAP president Dr Emi Rumi, and MLAs Ninong Ering and Tapi Darang all underlined the importance of cultural unity and identity preservation.
In Yinkiong in Upper Siang district, the celebration featured colourful performances by schoolchildren and community groups. A procession was taken across Yingkiong town in the morning, where people from all the walks of life joined.
DC Talom Jerang and IFCSAP secretary Maya Murtem joined the celebration and encouraged the preservation of indigenous spiritual heritage.
Murtem encouraged youths to turn out in large numbers and spearhead the preservation efforts of the indigenous organisations, while Jerang, who also serves as adviser to IFCSAP Upper Siang, paid tribute to Golgi Bote Talom Rukbo, whose visionary leadership revitalised the Donyi Polo indigenous faith. He spoke on the age-old belief in the supreme celestial bodies – Donyi (sun) and Polo (moon) – and emphasised the importance of protecting ancestral practices. He also urged the community to remain broadminded and tolerant towards all religions, promoting peace and brotherhood.
With the upcoming panchayat polls, DC Jerang appealed to the public to exercise their franchise freely and fairly, cooperate with polling teams whenever required, and maintain peace and tranquillity on polling day.
In Hayuliang in Anjaw, IFCSAP district unit assistant general secretary Gyamde Gumja Tamin encouraged the local community to uphold traditional values.
In Bomdila in West Kameng district, women wing secretary Mameh Dada and youth wing vice president Olom Perme took part and motivated women and youths in cultural revival.
In Nafra, IFCSAP convener Moi Bagra joined the celebration, and delivered a strong speech on cultural protection.
Members of the central executive committee (CEC) of the IFCSAP travelled widely and served as resource persons in various districts. They addressed public concerns and clearly explained the purpose and scope of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA).
They emphasised that the APFRA does not affect the ST status nor does it affect MGNREGA job cards or permit delisting of ST status.
In Upper Subansiri district, Indigenous Faith Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm in Daporijo on Monday.
Local MLA Taniya Soki and Baririjo ZPM Ponga Gango, among others, attended the celebration.
In his address, Soki called for preserving and promoting indigenous traditions and culture. He said that the present government is paying monthly honorariums to indigenous priests, and that a separate Indigenous Affairs Department has been created for the believers of indigenous faiths.
The MLA urged the people to ensure that peace and harmony in the state are not be disturbed at any cost, and called for maintaining communal harmony. “There should not be any hatred in the name of caste, community, region and religion,” he said.
TCS president Larji Rigia, IFCSAP district unit president Reri Pimbu Sorum, Tagin Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society secretary Taro Nilling, Tapir Game from the Galo Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society, and former IFCSAP assistant general secretary (HQ) Marging Taji also spoke.
A two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the departed soul of former Upper Subansiri IFCSAP unit general secretary Reri Tago Dulom, who passed away last year. Posthumous awards were given to him for his dedication and sacrifice towards the indigenous faith, Upper Subansiri IFCSAP president Sorum said.
In Tirap HQ Khonsa, a programme was organised at Khathak Rang Rangsom Home, which was attended by Khonsa West MLA Chakat Aboh and Tirap Deputy Commissioner Liyi Bagra.
The event commenced with the sacred Rangtam ritual (offering of jumin to Rang) performed by elders from Lapnan, Borduria and Lazu villages.
Addressing the large gathering, Aboh emphasised that the indigenous culture cherished by forefathers must be preserved by the younger generation to uphold their identity.
Greeting the people on the occasion, DC Bagra commended the collective efforts being made to preserve indigenous faith and traditions in the district. He remarked that practicing indigenous culture and traditions is essential for safeguarding them, as these customs form the very roots of identity in any society.
IFCSAP Tirap unit president Ngasah Tangjang spoke on the importance of Indigenous Faith Day at length and emphasised the crucial role of gurukul schools in teaching the mother tongue, which he said is essential for preserving, protecting, and promoting indigenous culture and identity.
IFCSAP CEC member Amoso Khamblai elaborated the spiritual and cultural essence of the day. He stated that the celebration serves as a reminder of who the people are and where they come from. He urged the community to honour their roots, recognising that their ancestors are not just memories but the foundation of collective strength.
Traditional dance performances by cultural troupes from New Tupi village, Barap Zonal, Borduria, Thinsa, and Noksa villages were the highlight of the event.
The day was also celebrated at VKV NEEPCO in Kimi in West Kameng district with various cultural programmes and indigenous games and sports like archery, bamboo stilt walk and tug of war, in which all the students, teachers, parents and sankul members took part.
Speaking on the occasion, VKV Principal Bhim Prasad Upadhyay highlighted the present linguistic status and the rapid erosion of the languages and dialects of the state.
Resource person Jamuna Saksa highlighted the work of Golgi Bote Talom Rukbo for cultural awareness and the launch of the Donyi-Polo movement way back in 1978, and appealed to everyone to preserve and promote the rich cultural diversity of the state.
Social worker Asen Khonjuju was also present on the occasion.
The day was also celebrated in Lohit, Namsai, Changlang, Longding, Lower Dibang Valley, and several other districts. (With inputs from DIPROs)
