RONO HILLS : Industries and Information & Public Relations Minister Nyato Dukam on Friday urged young content creators to understand the people, culture and identity of Arunachal Pradesh and tell authentic stories that present the state to the world.
He was inaugurating TRACTION 2026 Residency and Film Challenge, a 15-day residency programme at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) aimed at promoting Arunachal Pradesh’s culture, tourism, industries and unique identity through digital storytelling and filmmaking.
The programme is supported by the Department of Industries under the Rising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) initiative of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, with World Bank funding. It is being organised by the Department of Mass Communication, RGU, in collaboration with the Centre for Cultural Research and Documentation (CCRD).
Dukam attended the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest, while Tezu MLA and Adviser to the Minister Dr Mohesh Chai was the guest of honour. Rajiv Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Shivraj chaired the programme. Nampong MLA Laisam Simai attended as a special invitee.
Among others present were Controller of Examinations Dr Bijay Raji, Industries Director Gyabo Pertin, Joint Director of Industries Goli Angu, officials, faculty members and students.
Addressing the participants, Dukam encouraged the 25 selected content creators from the eight northeastern states to experience Arunachal Pradesh beyond a brief visit and understand its people, traditions and way of life.
Urging them to “grasp the pulse of Arunachal Pradesh”, he said meaningful storytelling could introduce the state’s rich heritage to a global audience. He also suggested expanding the initiative across the Northeast and making it an annual event to showcase the region’s cultural and natural diversity.
Dr Mohesh Chai highlighted the role of digital content creators in portraying the beauty and diversity of Arunachal Pradesh. He urged participants to create authentic content, avoid spreading misinformation and use their social media platforms to promote the state’s culture, people and positive stories.
“As content creators from the region, you also have a greater responsibility to sensitise people across the nation to the uniqueness of the Northeast identity,” he said.
Prof. Shivraj described TRACTION 2026 as a valuable platform for presenting Arunachal Pradesh’s diversity through responsible storytelling and congratulated the organisers and participants for the initiative.
Earlier, Course Director of the Department of Mass Communication Moji Riba outlined the vision behind the programme, stating that social media has evolved beyond entertainment into an important avenue for livelihood generation. He said the residency would help participants strengthen their content creation skills and improve audience engagement.
Concluding the inaugural session, Industries Director Gyabo Pertin thanked the dignitaries and collaborating organisations for their support and assured that the department would facilitate the participants during their field visits across the state.
As part of the residency, the participants will undergo sessions on content creation, media ethics, community outreach, the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative and Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products. Seven resource persons, including social media influencers, academicians, industry professionals and tourism experts, will conduct the sessions.
Following the workshop, participants will travel to Tawang, Dirang, Menchukha, Anini, Roing, Ziro, Pasighat and Namsai to produce five-minute documentary films on MSME success stories, GI-tagged products, adventure tourism and cultural landscapes.
The films will be evaluated by an expert jury, with the top two entries receiving cash prizes of ₹1 lakh each. The initiative seeks to promote responsible storytelling, media education, cultural documentation and tourism while nurturing young filmmakers from the Northeast.
The inaugural ceremony also featured a folk melody by students of the Department of Fine Arts and Music, RGU, and a Tai Khamti cultural performance by artistes from the Tai Khamti Heritage and Literature Society, Namsai.
