Preservation of tribal arts and culture: Conrad Sangma govt working on a long term plan

The Meghalaya Government is working on nitty gritties to start a department in the Captain Williamson Sangma State University which will provide a scope for tribal research, documentation and preservation.

In what can be termed as a noble initiative, the Meghalaya Government is working on a long term plan in its effort to preseve the indigenous tribal arts and culture. To take things in the right direction, the Conrad Sangma Government is now engaged in preparations to introduce a new department in the Captain Williamson Sangma State University.

The idea of the new department will be to provide a scope for the tribal research.

Meghalaya Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma said if this is not done now, tribal arts and culture will soon be on the verge of extinction.

“The state university will be having some departments which may be the first-of-its-kind in the entire country. We are planning to set up some departments like the tribal research department, because tribal status is the need of the hour. There are many tribal practices and culture that are going to be extinct, the language is going to tbe extinct, other practices as well as tribal music are going to be extinct now. If there is no proper research, if all these aspects are not included in the curriculum, if it is not structured well, it may become totally extinct tomorrow,” Sangma said.

Sangma insisted that it is the citizens of the state who will have to get involved in preserving the richness of tribal culture and art forms. So, Rakkam A Sangma feels that curriculum is perhaps one of the best ways to achieve the desired goal.

The Meghalaya Education Minister said, “For Khasi, for Garo, Jaintia, Naga or Mizo, we do not expect American people, or people from China or Japan, or people from UP, Mumbai to come and do research for you. It is you who have to do the research stuff. Reverend Thomas Jones, the father of Khasi alphabet, is the one who educated our people here, so now do not expect another Thomas Jone to come again to Khasi Hills and teach us again. We must be responsible. Looking into all these aspects, I think it is the right time now for us to preserve, protect and promote, unless it is there in the curriculum, it is not going to happen. There is no other industry to preserve and protect this (tribal arts and culture).”

In fact the Meghalaya Government is also mulling to collaborate with other stakeholders on the matter.

Sharing details Rakkam A Sangma stated, “Looking at this aspect, in the state university we are planning that why not we have subjects like tribal studies. So we are planning to collaborate with some of the prominent universities of the country as well as from abroad to support all our causes. But everything depends on how we move forward, that we will be knowing as we go ahead.”

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