Arunachal: Dree Festival celebrated at Ziro

Dree Festival celebrated at Ziro ( By Gyati Kacho )  Agreeing to the fact that Apatani people are like the Jews of Israel distinguished by their ingenuity, high education, intelligence and a civilized society, Minister for Agri & Allied, Food & Civil Supply and Legal Metrology Gabriel D. Wangsu said time has now come for the people of Apatani plateau to introspect the sustainability of their society so craftily evolved and nurtured by their ingenious forefathers.

While speaking as the chief guest at the Central Dree Festival Celebration, Ziro here today, the minister said people of Arunachal Pradesh including the Apatanese are slowly and surely embracing modernity including imbibing modern culture, values and amenities. ‘This has deeply affected the aged-old tribal culture system of our state and we are presently now at the cross roads of transition’, said the Minister.

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Advocating maintaining originality of the tribal culture, values and ethos, the journalist turned politician Gabriel D.Wangsu said the Dree festival should be an embodiment of upholding and preserving the rich cultural legacy of Apatani people. ‘The rich cultural system handed down by forefathers should not be diluted and compromised too much by the onslaught of modernity’, said the Minister.

Calling for a unified Dree festival celebration at Ziro, the Minister said Apatani people need to introspect on this matter in the interest of unity and camaraderie of the people of the plateau. ‘Dree should not be a compelling celebration but it ought to be spontaneous and all-encompassing festival for the Apatani people’, the Minister remarked.

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Guest of Honour and MLA 16th Yachuli Toko Tatung said Ziro is the hub of tourism in the state whose marketing has not been done adequately. ‘The credit for coming up with tourist attractions of Siikhey and Seeh lakes, and the most recent India’s first Integrated Aqua Park at Tarin must be attributed to former Minister Tage Taki, said Tatung, while adding a ‘porter track’ needs to be developed to Talle Valley for the tourists to visit, camp and stay overnight at Ziro.

While appealing to save the dying wet rice paddy fields of Ziro, Tatung said Govt. intervention is needed to arrest the declination paddy cultivation and abandoning of the paddy fields. ‘Paddy cultivation with bare hands has become laborious and economically unviable for farmers of Ziro. Hence, Govt.intervention or hand holding is the need of the hour to save the paddy fields of Ziro which remains as the prime attraction to tourists’, the MLA said.

The Yachuli MLA also urged more ‘inter-marriages’ between the Apatanis and Nyishis to increase more assimilation and integration between the two neighbouring tribes. Tatung also urged the need to encourage and promote local products and entrepreneurship on bamboo, cane and wood industries at the twin districts of Lower Subansiri and Keyi Panyor.

Also Read and Watch Video- Arunachal Pradesh’s ZIRO, where nature and traditions are still alive

Former Minister and CDFC Ziro chief patron Er.Tage Taki appealed not to ‘politicize’ Dree celebration. ‘The Dree festival celebration is a common platform for the people of Apatani community to showcase their hidden talents in the field of games and sports, literary and culture. It is also a platform for assimilation and integration of the people of the community. So politics should not be mixed up here’, Taki appealed.

CDFC Ziro chairman Nani Tani and general secretary Take Taki (MT) also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the Dree mythology.

Cultural items, prize distributions, mega Daminda dance and community feast were other attractions of the celebration.

The festival was also attended by Subrayamanyam, PCCF Govt.of AP, Hage Tari, Secretary Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development, Koj Rinya, Secretary Horticulture, Anu Singh, Special Secretary (Planning & Monitoring), Samuel Changja, CCF, Millo Tasser, CF, Dani Yubbe, Director Agriculture, Joyshil Taba, Director Fisheries, Hage Talley, Director AHV&DD and Ngilyang Pussang, Dy.Director Fisheries.