DIA Director Backs Sustainable Plan to Upgrade RIWATCH into University
Director of Indigenous Affairs Likha Suraj visited RIWATCH in Roing and welcomed its proposed transformation into a university, stressing long-term sustainability and community benefit.
ROING- The proposed upgrade of the Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions, Culture and Heritage (RIWATCH) into a university has received support from Arunachal Pradesh Director of Indigenous Affairs Likha Suraj, who has called for the proposed institution to be developed on a sustainable model capable of serving local communities over the long term.
Suraj made the remarks during his maiden visit to the RIWATCH campus at Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district on August 26. During the five-hour visit, he toured the RIWATCH Centre for Mother Languages (RCML), RIWATCH Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage (RCICH), Arogya Panchkarma and Wellness Centre, and the People’s Museum.
The Director welcomed the proposal to upgrade RIWATCH into a university, referred to as UWATCH, while advising that its development should follow a sustainable model so that it can effectively serve the community for generations.
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The visit also focused on strengthening institutional cooperation. Suraj said the purpose of his visit was to build confidence between the Department of Indigenous Affairs and RIWATCH. He particularly appreciated the tangible benefits that local communities have derived from the institute’s activities.
During an interaction session, Suraj commended RIWATCH for its work in preserving the indigenous cultures of Arunachal Pradesh. He also appreciated its initiatives relating to indigenous cultural heritage, knowledge systems and traditions of the Northeast, particularly those of Arunachal Pradesh.
RIWATCH Centre for Mother Languages Centre Head Dr. M.S. Awan briefed the visiting Director on the centre’s work and achievements. According to the institute, RCML has published 36 books, with five additional books currently in press, and has documented and studied 14 communities of Arunachal Pradesh so far.
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RIWATCH Executive Director Vijay Swami presented an overview of the institute’s journey since its establishment in 2009. He highlighted its research and documentation of indigenous cultures, its role in the discovery of a new ginger species in 2018, identified in the press note as Amomum riwatchii/Amomum nimkesii, and its contribution to TB research in Arunachal Pradesh. He also shared the vision of developing RIWATCH as the “Nalanda of the Northeast.”
The Director was accompanied by Toko Yapung and Akom Don Emma from the PlanetRead BILLION READERS Project.
The visit comes at a time when indigenous language preservation, cultural documentation and community-based knowledge are gaining greater institutional attention in Arunachal Pradesh. If the proposed university takes shape, its long-term effectiveness will depend on how sustainably it is structured and how closely its academic and research activities remain connected to the communities and traditions it seeks to preserve.
