ITANAGAR, Feb 23 - Showing their traditional harmony and comradeship, the Mising and Adi communities today jointly celebrated Ali-Aye Ligang, a major harvest festival of the Mising community, in a grand manner at Bakkul under Mebo sub-division in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Attending the celebration, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, while hailing the unity between the Mising and Adi communities, said that such bonding will help improve relations between Assam and Arunachal.
He appealed both the communities to preserve their culture in its truest form and urged them to prevent its dilution from the onslaught of modernity.
Responding to a memorandum submitted by Adi-Mising Baane Kebang, Khandu announced to declare local holiday on Ali-Aye Ligang from next year onwards wherever Mising and Adi populations are settled.
Talking about the tourism potential in the area, he said under his initiative, Budget allocation for tourism has been raised to Rs 70 crore during the previous financial year from mere Rs 16 crore. In the current financial year, it has been raised to Rs 100 crore and will see more increase in the next financial year, he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, State BJP president Tapir Gao and chief patron of festival committee Lombo Tayeng also spoke on the occasion.
Besides the ceremonial Ligang flag hoisting and Taku Kubat (a ritual) by the chief guest, cultural presentations by Adi-Mising cultural troupes, traditional games & sports and cultural competitions were the major highlights of the celebration.
Tomorrow, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State for Panchayat & Rural Development Naba Kumar Doley, and Maj Gen Bhaskar Kalita, GOC, 56 Infantry Division, Likabali are scheduled to attend the festival.