KHONSA: Pongtu, the main agricultural festival of the Tutsa community, was celebrated with traditional gaiety and religious fervour here in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday.
RWD Minister Honchun Ngandam, attending the festival, advised the Tutsa community to uphold their culture and traditions for posterity.
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He added that ‘culture comes through nature; as such, culture, religion and politics shouldn’t be confused and mixed up by us’.
The minister commended the Tutsa community for preserving, promoting and protecting their culture and costumes.
“One after another, old folk singers and folk tellers are dying, and with them, slowly and steadily, age-old traditional systems which were handed over by our ancestors are also dying,” Ngandam said.
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He appealed to the intellectuals, scholars and PhD holders of the Tutsa, Nocte and Wancho communities to ‘research thoroughly in what way old folksongs, folktales and folklore can be preserved, protected and promoted.’
The minister also congratulated the Tutsa people for having released a book on the Tutsas.
MLA Wanglam Sawin urged the Tutsa community to continue practicing their ancestral culture and traditions, ‘and preserve, protect and promote for posterity to keep own identity alive.’
“Simply merrymaking doesn’t cover the actual meaning of preservation of traditional culture,” Sawin said.
“Folksongs, folktales, mother language, and the village council under the chieftainship system which were practiced by our ancestors must be taught to the younger generation to continue the footsteps of our forefathers,” he said.
MLA Wanglin Lowangdong said ‘culture and festivals bring oneness among different creeds, castes, regions and religions.”
He appealed to the people of Tirap, Changlang and Longding (TCL) districts to ‘maintain cordial relations and brotherhood, and the spirit of hard work and unity, as taught by our ancestors.’
Lowangdong also appealed to the youths of the TCL region to study harder in order to compete with other districts, and to avoid antisocial activities, including drug abuse.
Namsai MLA Jingnu Namchoom said ‘festivals create oneness, brotherhood and unity among the state and the nation as a whole.
He appealed to Tutsas, Wanchos and Noctes to preserve and promote their traditional cultures.
Celebration committee president Lukwang Phuksa read out the mythology of Pongtu Kuh.
The festival was marked by beating of the traditional hollow log drum, and presentation of traditional and modern dances by villagers and girls.
In Changlang, Deputy Speaker Tesam Pongte, along with Changlang South MLA Phosum Khimhun, Tali MLA Jikke Tako, Chayang Tajo MLA Hayang Mangfi, and Lekang MLA Jummom Ete Deori attended the Pongtu festival celebration.
In his address, Pongte said that “Pongtu is tradition, culture and festival of the Tutsa community,” and wished everyone on the occasion.