Central expert team to visit Arunachal for conservation of manuscripts
NEW DELHI, 9 Dec: Rare manuscripts and traditional scripts, including texts containing episodes from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana were uncovered during a field documentation carried out in Tawang, West Kameng, Shi-Yomi, Upper Siang, and Namsai districts, Arunachal Pradesh Research OSD Lt Col TC Tayum informed during a special workshop on ‘Script and manuscript preservation’, organised here by the union Culture Ministry on Tuesday.
Col Tayum delivered a presentation on the Gyan Bharatam Mission, showcasing extensive field documentation carried out in the five districts. The presentation underscored the risks posed by age, climatic vulnerabilities, and inadequate archival facilities, and outlined a structured roadmap for preservation, digitisation, capacity-building, and cultural continuity.
Arunachal Art & Culture Secretary Mamta Riba highlighted the state’s manuscript traditions, including the Lik-Thai manuscripts of Namsai, the ancient Buddhist Kangyur scriptures, and other rare Buddhist and indigenous manuscripts, during the workshop.
A delegation from Arunachal, comprising Riba, Lt Col Tayum, and Art & Culture Assistant Director Manyu attended the workshop, which was chaired by union Culture Ministry Secretary Vivek Aggarwal.
Riba expressed gratitude to the Culture Ministry for its continued guidance under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, and appealed for support in scientific conservation, systematic documentation, and modern archival infrastructure to safeguard the state’s priceless cultural treasures.
Responding to the presentation, Aggarwal commended the proactive initiatives of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and assured of immediate central support. He announced that a central expert team will soon visit all five districts – Tawang, West Kameng, Shi-Yomi, Upper Siang, and Namsai – to begin scientific documentation, digitisation, and conservation of manuscripts, including the Lik-Thai texts, the Kangyur collection, other ancient manuscripts, and the Mahabharata- and Ramayana-based texts identified during field surveys.
He further informed that a dedicated manuscript and digitisation support cell for Arunachal will be established at the ministry to ensure coordinated and long-term assistance to the state.
The Arunachal government expressed gratitude for the ministry’s assurances, and reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the state’s rich manuscript and script heritage under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, envisioned to become a major contributor to the national digital repository.
