Mingkeng Osik

PASIGHAT, SEPT 9:

The first day of the 60th Central Solung Festival in Pasighat witnessed the release of two books authored by veteran writer and social worker Olom Perme of Gune village, highlighting the need to preserve the Adi community’s traditional knowledge, oral history, language and cultural heritage for future generations.

The two books, Sopi Yekpi & Binngyat and Adi E Kensupenam, are based on the 85-year-old author’s decades-long memories, observations and understanding of Adi traditions, beliefs and history.

Perme said he had written a book as early as 1990 but faced difficulties in getting his writings typed and edited as he was unfamiliar with computers and modern technology. His long-pending work eventually took shape after he met Tayom Dai, who helped collect, organise and edit his writings.

Explaining Adi E Kensupenam, Perme said the book documents traditional accounts concerning the origins of the Adi people and their relationship with the creation of the earth and the heavens. The narrative draws upon stories and knowledge he heard during childhood from the Miiri of Donyi-Polo, which remained deeply embedded in his memory.

Perme said such knowledge should not remain confined to one generation and must be documented so that younger Adis can understand the stories, beliefs and traditional knowledge that have shaped their community. He also recorded traditional accounts and prophecies he had heard in his childhood, hoping to prevent them from being lost with the passing of the older generation.

Dai, who has served as Vice President of the Adi Agom Kebang since 2016, played a key role in editing and organising the two books. He said Perme’s original writings presented challenges related to spelling, unique sounds and the long sounds characteristic of the Adi language. He worked on editing the text, arranging its sequence and preparing the layout while retaining the essence of the author’s original work.

Dai said the initial material for Adi E Kensupenam was limited, but discussions with Perme led to the incorporation of writings from his earlier work and decades-old notes, allowing more of his accumulated knowledge to be preserved.

Describing the publication as an important message to the younger generation, Dai urged young people interested in literature, art and writing to document their experiences and traditional knowledge in the Adi language. He also encouraged them to translate their works into Hindi and English to make Adi history and cultural knowledge accessible to a wider audience.

He stressed that language and culture are closely interconnected and called for greater encouragement, motivation and specialised writing opportunities at the village level to help young people develop the skills needed to document their traditions and dialects.

The publication was supported by Tobuk Dai of Boying village, who sponsored the initiative in recognition of Perme’s efforts to document Adi heritage.

Perme’s life reflects a long association with education and community service. He began his career as a teacher after undergoing Buniyadi Shiksha training at Changlang in 1959. During the 1962 India-China war, he left his teaching job to contribute to restoration and social work in the war-affected areas.

He subsequently served as General Secretary of the Bogong Banggo Kebang from 1968 to 1970, Member Secretary of the Ramro Tulap Committee in 1971 and General Secretary of the Donyi Polo Yelam Kebang from 1995 to 2000. He also served as Chief Advisor of the Central Donyi Polo Yelam Kebang and was recognised as a renowned social worker by the East Siang district administration in 2010. He currently serves as Tabé Aabu of Bogong Gangging.

At 85, Perme’s effort to put decades of traditional knowledge into written form underscores the urgency of documenting indigenous history and cultural memory before it is lost. The two books released during the Central Solung Festival thus go beyond literary significance, seeking to connect the knowledge and memories of the older generation with the cultural consciousness of younger Adis.