State News

ITANAGAR : A traditional Wancho folktale from the remote Patkai Hills of Longding district is being transformed into an animated short film, marking the first known animation adaptation of a story from one of India’s most secluded indigenous communities. The two-month production workshop is currently underway at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology (SMI), Bengaluru, through a collaboration between the Institute, the Adivasi Arts Trust (UK) and the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust (UK). The production team comprises four undergraduate design students from SMI and two young artists from the Wancho community under the guidance of animation faculty member Vijay Punia. The project traces its origins to 2019, when a filmmaker and cultural researcher from the United Kingdom documented oral traditions in Kamhua Noknu, one of the largest Wancho villages in Longding district, as part of a postdoctoral research project hosted by the Department of Anthropology, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. During the research, 32 oral narratives were recorded from village elders in Kamhua Noknu and neighbouring villages. Local teacher Jatwang Wangsa translated the stories, which were later published in the book Myth, Memory and Folktale of the Wancho Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh (Niyogi Books, 2024). The oral narratives, preserved through generations, reflect the Wancho community’s worldview, cultural values and relationship with nature. The animation project gained momentum in 2020 when a workshop was organised in Kamhua Noknu to introduce local youth to stop-motion animation. Equipped with cameras, computers, lighting equipment and animation materials, the organisers trained village youths despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and limited electricity in the remote region. Although 16 young people initially joined the workshop, a dedicated core team continued with the project. The initiative was later documented in the film Myths of the Wancho (2021). Among the recorded folktales, The Story of the Gourd was selected for adaptation because of its rich depiction of Wancho cultural traditions. The narrative recounts the mythical origin of Wangham, regarded as the first village chief, and explores themes of creation, community life, traditional agriculture, territorial relationships and governance through a uniquely oral storytelling tradition. A pre-production workshop held at NEHU in 2021 brought together students, scholars, media professionals and Wancho participants to develop the screenplay, storyboard, character designs and animation concepts. Although the project faced delays in subsequent years, it was revived with financial support from the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust. Vijay Punia, who had earlier served as a resource person during the NEHU workshop, took charge of completing the film at SMI. The current team has handcrafted animation models and is using the institute’s stop-motion studio to produce the film frame by frame. The production combines traditional Wancho storytelling with modern animation techniques. Once completed, the short film will be released in Wancho, Hindi and English as part of the Stories of our Ancestors series, with the aim of introducing younger audiences to the rich animist traditions and oral heritage of the Wancho community, Tara Douglas of the Adivasi Arts Trust said. (Source: UNI)    

ITANAGAR : Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Core Committee on Unsung Heroes of Arunachal Pradesh to review the progress of efforts aimed at identifying, documenting and honouring remarkable individuals whose contributions have shaped the state’s history and identity. The meeting focused on advancing research on unsung heroes, preserving historical records and ensuring that their inspiring stories are documented and passed on to future generations. Speaking after the meeting, Mein appreciated the valuable suggestions and contributions made by the Committee members and other stakeholders during the deliberations, underscoring the importance of preserving the state’s rich historical legacy. Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona, who attended the meeting, said the Committee also discussed innovative ways to make the stories of Arunachal’s unsung heroes more engaging and accessible to younger generations. Among the ideas deliberated was presenting the lives and achievements of local heroes through comic books and other creative artistic formats to help children connect with the state’s history, culture and inspiring personalities. “Our stories deserve to be told, remembered and passed on to future generations,” Sona said, while appreciating the efforts of the Core Committee in documenting the contributions of lesser-known personalities. The meeting was attended by Rajya Sabha MP Tai Tagak, Rajiv Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor Prof SK Nayak, Registrar Dr NT Rikam and Coordinator of the Unsung Heroes Project, Prof Ashan Riddi, among others. The initiative seeks to systematically identify, document and preserve the lives and contributions of individuals who have played significant roles in the socio-cultural, political and historical development of Arunachal Pradesh, ensuring that their legacy continues to inspire future generations. (Source: UNI)  

ITANAGAR : Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) on Wednesday welcomed Dr Sivaraj, retired Professor of Chemistry, as the new Vice Chancellor of the university. A distinguished academic with decades of experience in higher education, research and academic administration, Dr Sivaraj brings extensive expertise in institutional leadership, research-driven innovation and academic development. The university expressed confidence that his commitment to academic excellence, student-centric education and institutional growth aligns with the core values of RGU and will further strengthen its pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, innovation, interdisciplinary learning and community engagement. The university said Dr Sivaraj’s leadership is expected to usher in a new phase of growth, collaboration and transformation while fostering an inclusive and vibrant academic environment. Welcoming the new Vice Chancellor, the RGU fraternity extended its best wishes for a successful and inspiring tenure, expressing hope that the university would achieve new milestones in academic excellence, national recognition and global relevance under his leadership.  

Mingkeng Osik PASIGHAT : The Adi Artistes Association (AAA) on Tuesday handed over financial assistance for families affected by the recent floods through East Siang Deputy Commissioner Tayi Taggu. The association contributed ₹10,000 for flood-affected families of Rotte village in Lower Siang district, ₹20,000 for Ledum village in East Siang district, and ₹50,000 for Possa village in Keyi Panyor district as part of its humanitarian initiative. AAA General Secretary and Voice of Adi-2026 Organising Chairman John Gao said the funds were raised through a public donation drive held on July 5 under the theme ‘Melodies of Relief’. The campaign was conducted by the top 20 contestants of Voice of Adi-2026 and members of the association at GTC, Komlighat and Pasighat Bazaar. Expressing gratitude to the public for their generous support, Gao said the association would continue to undertake humanitarian initiatives to assist people affected by natural disasters and other hardships. Receiving the contribution, East Siang Deputy Commissioner Tayi Taggu appreciated the association’s timely gesture and lauded its commitment towards supporting flood-affected families.      

NAMSAI : Retusa Women Farmer Producer Company Limited (Retusa WFPCL), promoted under the Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM), is strengthening rural livelihoods by creating market linkages and promoting women-led agricultural enterprises across eastern Arunachal Pradesh. The Farmer Producer Company (FPC) has been procuring key agricultural commodities, including buckwheat, ginger, mustard and large cardamom, enabling women farmers to access organised markets and secure better prices for their produce. During the last procurement season, Retusa WFPCL aggregated 46 metric tonnes (MT) of buckwheat from Lower Dibang Valley, 32 MT of ginger from Lower Dibang Valley, Namsai and Wakro, and 2.5 MT of large cardamom from Anjaw district, benefiting around 150 farmers from Anjaw, Namsai, Lohit and Lower Dibang Valley districts. The company also successfully supplied 25 MT of buckwheat to X5 Agrotech Farm Producer Company Limited, Hyderabad. Retusa WFPCL is headed by Chairperson Nang Onjini Namchoom, with Nang Kyatom Macheykun serving as Director. The company is led by Chief Executive Officer-in-Charge Mimar Basar and supported by a team comprising Procurement Manager Rajawan Mantaw, Area Procurement Officers Rebika Namchoom and Jumpi Noshi Lobom, and Finance Manager Dhananjay Kumar. The initiative is being implemented under the supervision of Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission District Mission Management Unit Roing District Mission Manager Senong Namchoom. The initiative highlights the growing role of Farmer Producer Companies in strengthening agricultural value chains through aggregation, grading, quality assurance, logistics, financial management and market negotiations, thereby improving farmers’ bargaining power and enhancing their share of consumer prices.    

JEMEITHANG : Tawang Deputy Commissioner Namgyal Angmo on Wednesday attended the valedictory session of the three-day K–10 Future Skills Lab Teacher Training Programme at Government Secondary School, Jemeithang. She was accompanied by Lungla Additional Deputy Commissioner Tashi Dhondup and Tawang Deputy Director of School Education Hridar Phuntsok. The capacity-building programme, conducted by resource persons from Stempedia, was attended by nine teachers from schools under the Jemeithang cluster. It aimed to equip educators with practical skills in emerging technologies and activity-based teaching methodologies to enable the effective integration of innovation into classroom learning. The final day began with a review of concepts covered during the training, including programming, Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and hands-on learning activities. Teachers also received practical training on the Hand Pose Classifier in PictoBlox and its integration with the Quarky robotics controller through gesture-controlled robotics projects. The programme further featured practical sessions on Science and Mathematics kits to strengthen experiential learning, besides demonstrations on the Astronomy Zone and its educational applications to promote scientific curiosity among students. Addressing the participants, Angmo appreciated the enthusiasm shown by the teachers and underscored the importance of preparing students with future-ready skills. She urged educators to make optimum use of the Future Skills Lab infrastructure by integrating AI, robotics, coding, astronomy and activity-based pedagogy into regular classroom teaching to make learning more engaging and relevant for the 21st century. Tashi Dhondup and Hridar Phuntsok also encouraged teachers to effectively utilise the facilities created under the programme to foster creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and scientific inquiry among students. The training concluded with participants demonstrating enhanced confidence in using Future Skills Lab resources to create technology-enabled and experiential learning environments. Later, the DC inspected ongoing Education Department infrastructure projects in the Jemeithang area. She also visited Government Upper Primary School, Gispu, to review the construction of the academic block and teachers’ quarters. (DIPR)