A PERECEPTION OF PRESENT APATANI SOCIETY IN PERSPECTIVE OF INDIGENOUS FAITH AND CULTURE MOVEMENT.
……..Gyati Rana,
“In ten years time there will be a considerable body of educated young men and women. Will they find it possible to maintain their faith in old religions? Will they return to their villages and introduce religious reform as many educated Hindus reformed Hinduism in the last century? Or will they adopt a new religion, Buddhism, Hinduism or Christianity.” Dr. Verrier Elwin speculated future Society in his book “A philosophy for NEFA”
Till 2000 the penetration of alien religions in and around Lower Subansiri District was reportedly as negligible. Now a day there is rampant conversion of indigenous people to other religions. It is evident from mushrooming up of so many religious places like Mandir, Maszids, Churches and etc.
Indigenous faith is based on various customs and rituals performed in various socio-religious, socio-cultural and traditional practices. This age old concept is the basis of all religion, but is considered indefinite in nature. Only those traditional practice with philosophical back ground supported by written scriptures with organized set up are recognized as religions.
Though Indigenous faith has vast oral literature on the concept of faith, has strong philosophical background but has no written scripture, making it beyond the reach of most of the populace specially youths. Resultantly, their ignorance of sacred knowledge and easy prey for conversionist.
The Faith, culture and tradition is well spelled out in oral scripture Miji-Migun as I am told by Gyati Tajo, a prominent Nyibu of Hari Village that, “Miji Migun Kolyun Kolo Hokii siilo loye pa lukoh, Sanii Hiilyang pa du.Ura loda hii abu lusii giima, chiran paban hiilyang do. Ago dalyi hoya sanii halo hiilyang miji-migun lenda byalyang rido.” Which implies that our sacred oral scripture Miji-Migun is like a tree. The beginning is like the trunk of a tree upon which there is nothing much to say, but following chapters has lots of oral literature on culture, customs, traditions, ethos, values etc. like that of the branches of a Tree.
Earlier our parents, grand parents use to teach their children. Right from the infancy they carried them on their back through whole days of their daily activities, teaching starts with the lullaby songs by mother. This is followed by folklores and folk tells by grand parents. During adolescence, they are assigned to learn Miji-Migun sacredknowledge beside helping their parents in daily works and household chore,
The festivals are so programmed that while participating in the festivals the dissemination and assimilation of sacred knowledge through competitions on sacred songs Ayyu-Bari, amongst contemporary friends of all age groups during the festival is must. Thus the sacred knowledge was passed orally to next generation in a compact Apatani Society.
Due to impact of modern education and development it has change the ways of life from rural to modern by engaging in Govt. service and other professional jobs. It has dispersed them all over the state, country and even over world. The traditional system of dissemination and assimilation of knowledge has become impracticable in a changed society. People who are in Govt. service could not attend the festivals due to their responsibility, preoccupations and eventual coincidence of these festivals in the last quarter of the financial year.
Over and above this, the introduction of modern educational system, and non incorporation of lessons of Indigenous cultural importance in the syllabus being prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education has made young peoples ignorance on their sacred knowledge, consequently, diminishing of love towards own culture. The youth who should have been competing in the sacred oral songs during Myoko festival, it is disheartening to see them singing the latest Bollywood songs in the festivals. I personally feels that the parents though they are busy in their works should take out some time for their children to inculcate traditional and cultural values to them along with modern educations. Childrens also should cultivate interest in their own faith.
It is evident from the world histories that a Society is non-static and tends to change in time line, otherwise it became a dead culture, fit for museum and libraries. Our Indigenous Faith and Culture is living culture, it is bound to grow in time line. I do not subscribe to the idea of abandoning once own faith nor am an orthodox who are afraid of and against the societal changes in time line. I perceive the changes as its growth, otherwise our faith and culture would be dry and dead tree
An Indigenous Australian, observed at Pasighat during Indigenous Youth Festival, 2008 that people of Arunachal Pradesh is lucky to have 50 – 60 % of their own Culture still alive, they have lost their mother culture and are searching for it at library and museum . And are intelligent enough that they are working through Meder Nello, Nyedar Namlo, Gangin to preserve, protect and promote their indigenous faith.
Therefore, our people should ponder and act to preserve, protect and promote own faith and culture. The parents should extend help to the management of the Meder Nello to conduct seminar, symposium etc participate in competition of AYYU during festival. This will generate interest amongst our brethren and ensure dissemination and assimilation of our sacred oral literature.
The Meder Nello, a platform to organize our faith and culture with the objective to assimilate, disseminate and document the sacred oral literature. I perceive this as the best available concept upon which every sensible indigenous people should contribute, morally, physically and financially and Intellectuals, Elders and Nyibus should extend their guidance and knowledge for establishment of vibrant and strong platform with the essence of our culture. “ Let various flower blooms in the Garden of Almighty.”
……..Gyati Rana