DEOMALI, AUG 29:

The Nocte community on Saturday took a significant step towards preserving and strengthening its linguistic heritage with the adoption of a proposed Nocte script at a General Body Meeting organised by the Nocte Script Development Committee in collaboration with Wangcha Rajkumar Government College (WRGC), Deomali.

Representatives of various Nocte-speaking groups, including Hahwakhun, Ollo, Khappa, Tang and Phungsung, participated in the meeting and offered suggestions to make the script more inclusive, while keeping scope for further amendments and refinement.

The meeting was chaired by Arunachal Pradesh Environment and Forests Minister Wangki Lowang. The central highlight was the presentation of the proposed Nocte script by Dr Wanglit Mongchan. Representatives of different Nocte dialect groups discussed the script and future strategies and endorsed the proposed script as presented by Mongchan.

Addressing the gathering, Lowang appreciated Mongchan and members of the Nocte Script Development Committee for their contribution towards preserving and developing the linguistic heritage of the community. He termed the initiative a landmark achievement that would benefit future generations.

The minister also called for the development of a Nocte multidialectal dictionary to facilitate wider understanding and communication among different Nocte-speaking groups. He stressed the need for greater linguistic and cultural assimilation and urged the community to rise above minor differences and work collectively for the preservation and development of its identity.

The programme also featured cultural performances by students of Government Higher Secondary School, Deomali, and WRGC.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by WRGC Principal Dr Watsen Bangsia.

The adoption of the script marks an important milestone in efforts to preserve the linguistic identity of the Nocte community and pass it on to future generations.