ITANAGAR, Feb 26: Toru Circle celebrated its 50th Nyokum Festival with great fanfare, which was graced by the Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Chowna Mein, along with MP(Rajya Sabha), Nabam Rebia and MLA  cum former Chief Minister, Nabam Tuki.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief Minister emphasized on the preservation of one’s traditional culture & festival. He lauded the Nyishi community for zealously preserving their rich culture & tradition.
Stating that the celebration is a reflection of the Nyishi community’s strong bond and their deep commitment towards preservation of their rich cultural heritage, Mein applauded the Nyishi community for preserving the cultural values of the Nyokum Yullo and for upholding the love and respect for their culture. He stressed on the need for passing down this rich heritage to the younger generations and to keep alive their cultures & traditions citing it as our identity.
Mein also urged the people of Toru to also prioritise environmental preservation while celebrating the festival and promote tourism showing their love and hospitality to visitors while engaging them in various tourism activities.
Mein further exhorted to take pride in the state's diverse cultures and traditions, and said to reflect these cultural values which is the true identity of tribal society. He said that there should not be any dispute with regards to culture irrespective of the faiths we follow.
Encouraging all the communities to strive for becoming a model state, Mein assured the government's commitment towards providing the necessary infrastructure and resources for the preservation of the culture and traditions of the State. He opined to  conduct folk music festivals to encourage the preservation & promotion  of folk music and dances.
He further highlighted the state government's effort in preserving the rich history of their ancestors through the documentation of the "unsung heroes", which is still being carried out to unfold deeper insights into the past. As part of cultural preservation, the government is also committed to establish indigenous gurukuls in every district to ensure the passing down of traditional values to future generations, with three gurukuls already established so far.
He also urged people to shun hunting in order to preserve the state's rich biodiversity, citing that there is mass awareness about the conservation of nature. He called upon everyone do their bit to protect Arunachal Pradesh's wild animals and birds.
He further said that the state government is judiciously using its resources for rapid development and equitable development of all region. He informed that the Arunachal University in Pasighat will be made functional soon and the state government will also look into the construction of Engineering College at Toru.
On the occasion, Rajya Sabha (MP), Nabam Rebia and MLA, Nabam Tuku also spoke among others.
Mein also unveiled a monolith for Golden Jubilee Nyokum Celebration at Toru and witnessed the traditional methods of hunting demonstrated on the occasion.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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