ITANAGAR, AUG 22:
Governor Lt Gen KT Parnaik (Retd) has urged the organisers of the Ziro Festival to preserve its authenticity, protect the environment and create greater opportunities for local youth, saying the festival must continue to inspire visitors while bringing pride and prosperity to Arunachal Pradesh.
Team Ziro Festival Co-Founders Bobby Hano and Anup Kutty called on the Governor at Lok Bhavan here on Saturday and briefed him on the festival and its outreach initiative, ‘Ziro On Tour – Valley Vibe, City Tribe’, which seeks to take the music, culture, artists and creative communities of Arunachal Pradesh and the wider Northeast to audiences across India and abroad.
Appreciating the organisers for successfully conducting the festival over the years, Parnaik said the Ziro Festival was more than a celebration of music and should serve as a platform for cultural preservation, environmental responsibility, youth empowerment and local economic growth.
He emphasised that the festival and its outreach programmes should remain rooted in the cultural traditions of the tribal communities and indigenous heritage of Arunachal Pradesh. While contemporary music and international participation add to its appeal, he said equal importance should be given to traditional music, folk arts, local cuisine, handicrafts and indigenous knowledge systems.
The Governor also encouraged the organisers to use the festival as a catalyst for youth empowerment and rural economic development by creating opportunities for local youth in event management, hospitality, content creation, cultural performances and tourism services.
He suggested dedicated platforms for farmers, artisans, weavers and local entrepreneurs, saying such initiatives would strengthen livelihoods and support the vision of ‘Vocal for Local’, ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ and Viksit Bharat@2047.
Team Ziro Festival informed the Governor of its proposal to take the festival to Hyderabad, Puducherry and Chandigarh. Parnaik advised the organisers to take up the proposal with the State Government so that coordination with the concerned States and sponsorship opportunities could be explored. He assured the team of all possible assistance at his level.
Hano and Kutty thanked the Governor for his guidance and assured their continued commitment to promoting Arunachal Pradesh’s culture, tourism and creative economy through the Ziro Festival and ‘Ziro On Tour’ initiatives.
