Pema Khandu Inaugurates Donyi Polo Multipurpose Hall at Galo Heritage Centre
The hall near Naharlagun will serve as a permanent venue for Mopin celebrations and cultural learning, following a community-led effort that included the purchase of 11,217 square metres of land and donations from more than 430 individuals.
NAHARLAGUN- Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday inaugurated the Donyi Polo Multipurpose Hall at the Galo Heritage Centre in Tarajuli, near Naharlagun, highlighting the project as an example of community participation, cultural preservation and collective responsibility.
The hall is expected to serve as a permanent venue for Mopin celebrations and a centre for preserving and transmitting Galo traditions, including songs, dances, crafts and indigenous knowledge from elders to younger generations.
The inauguration programme was organised by the Naharlagun Mopin Management and Promotion Committee, which looks after the Heritage Centre, in coordination with the Galo Welfare Society and clan-based organisations.
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Community Contributions at the Heart of the Project
Addressing the gathering, Khandu said the project represented more than the construction of a government-funded building. He recalled that the Galo community had voluntarily handed over its Mopin ground at Naharlagun, which had been in use since 1976, to make way for the state’s first medical college, the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS).
Following the handover, the community formed a committee, identified a new location and purchased approximately 11,217 square metres of land at Tarajuli through community contributions. Clan organisations constructed boundary walls and traditional gates, while more than 430 individuals contributed funds towards the initiative.
The hall was sanctioned under the Centre’s Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment following an assurance by the Chief Minister in 2022. According to Khandu, the project was completed in about a year, considerably faster than the two to three years he said similar projects generally take.
He credited community ownership and collective effort for the progress and said the initiative could serve as an example for other communities across Arunachal Pradesh.
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Cultural Preservation and Infrastructure Commitments
Named after Donyi Polo, the indigenous faith associated with the Sun and the Moon, the hall is intended to provide a permanent space for cultural celebrations and intergenerational learning.
The Chief Minister announced that the drainage system required at the Heritage Centre premises would be approved within the year. He also announced plans for a shed at the Itanagar Mopin and Solung ground, intended for use by both the Galo and Adi communities.
Khandu said the request for a Galo Secretariat and additional heritage infrastructure would also be followed up.
Responding to a memorandum of demands submitted during the event, he said larger road projects would require more time. He reiterated that central support for a proposed two-lane road between Ruksin and Kimin was conditional on communities donating land free of cost along the surveyed alignment. He said the project would proceed once written consent was provided.
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Boundary Issues and Other Policy Matters
On the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary issue, Khandu said disputes involving 123 villages had been largely resolved under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that joint field visits by regional committees had resulted in the settlement of 31 of 32 contested areas in Papum Pare district.
He also said work was progressing on other long-pending matters, including the Chakma issue, and that further information would be shared at an appropriate time.
Skills, Entrepreneurship and Employment
The Chief Minister urged people to accord equal dignity to different forms of work and called for greater emphasis on vocational training in construction, electrical work and plumbing to reduce dependence on skilled workers from outside the state.
Citing an example, he said a batch of 50 youths trained at the National Skill Centre in Hyderabad subsequently executed a project in Pasighat for Rs 10 lakh, compared with a quotation of Rs 18 lakh from an outside team.
Khandu also encouraged young people to consider entrepreneurship, including opportunities through the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector and the Arunachal Pradesh Entrepreneurship Development Program. He said the programme’s capacity had been doubled, with 100 entrepreneurs in its latest cohort.
He further highlighted the Arunachal Academic Excellence initiative, under which the state bears scholarship costs for students admitted to universities ranked within the top 150 of the QS rankings.
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Development, Identity and the Road to 2047
Highlighting the state’s development initiatives, Khandu said more than 1.5 lakh women were organised into over 16,000 self-help groups and that nearly 46 per cent of startups were women-led.
He also cited investments exceeding Rs 3,000 crore under Mission Shikshit Arunachal Phase I, an additional Rs 1,500 crore approved for Phase II, and an increase of more than 13 per cent in enrolment in government schools. The Vibrant Villages Programme, he said, covers 455 border villages in Phase I and another 122 in Phase II.
Referring to the guiding principle of Vikas, Sewa and Virasat—development, service and heritage—the Chief Minister highlighted support for indigenous Gurukul schools, 20 GI-tagged products from Arunachal Pradesh and measures to strengthen legal protection for indigenous faiths. He also referred to high-powered committees dealing with APST safeguards, the Inner Line Permit framework and illegal infiltration, stating that these issues would be addressed through dialogue and consensus.
Khandu cautioned that the state’s tribal communities, with their relatively small populations nationally, faced risks of cultural erosion if their languages and traditions were not preserved. He urged communities to take primary responsibility for passing their heritage to future generations while using government policies and support to strengthen these efforts.
He also called for responsible engagement with artificial intelligence and machine learning, urging people to adapt to technological changes and their potential impact on employment without abandoning traditional values.
As Arunachal Pradesh prepares to mark 40 years of statehood on February 20, 2027, the Chief Minister invited communities to reflect on the state’s development journey towards 2047. He urged young people to remain rooted in their cultural identity while preparing confidently for a rapidly changing world.
The inauguration of the Donyi Polo Multipurpose Hall thus highlighted the connection between community participation, cultural continuity and development, with the new facility intended to serve both present-day celebrations and the preservation of Galo heritage for future generations.
