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This booklet contains papers from the seminar tilled “Traditional Systems:Changes and Continuity” held during 15,16 January 1999 at Pasighat. The dissertations were prepared by scholars having firsthand information on the topic of their choice and they are expected to throw light on many new facts hitherto not adequately known to the people in general. However, the opinions expressed by the writers are exclusively their own and the undersigned does not have anything to comment on their relevance.
VKIC have meanwhile , organized several seminars on the common topic, “Traditional Systems : Change and Continuity” and propose to compile all the papers including the ones which are included in the present booklet into one or more volumes in future. It is , therefore, hoped that the readers of this publication, and more particularly the contributors of the seminar, will point out any omission and send their views including observation, suggestions on different issues presented through the papers, if any, which will obviously make our efforts more fruitful.
Pradip Sarma
Director, Research Council
On the topic Traditional Systems : Change and Continuity (as in the Adis of East Siang district), a district-level seminar was organized by VKIC in conjunction with Doyni Polo Yelam Kebang, on 1 and 16 January 1999. The purpose of seminar was explained by the guest of honour , Kumari B Nivedia, All India Secretary, VKSPV, Kanyakumari. She sought to bring out the essential features of the problems being faced by humanity today. Samuel Huntington, in his seminal work ' The Clash of Civilizations And the Remarking of the World Order' observers that the combined of urbanisation brings in its train westernization and christianisation. Yet, after gaining self-confidence in their own heritage, the society says yes to modernization but turns away from christianisation. It is the same dielemma which is staring the Arunachali society in its face today, Nivedita observed. Allowing the inner culture to blossom may necessitate certain changes in the outer forms of our faith , yet the eternal values shall have to be retained to ensure the survival of this valid component of Indian culture. Kumari Nivedita expressed the hope that the seminar would set the trend in its efforts to identify the inner core of the Adi society and evolve the outer forms further to suit the changing times.
Smt. Barmati Dai, Principla, IGJ Govt Higher Secondary School, was present as the chief guest to inaugurate the seminar. In her Inaugural address, the first woman graduate from Arunachal expressed the hope that the seminar would point out the distinctive features of the Adi society that make it strong from within, as also the factors which bind it together with the larger culture around.
Shri Katon Borang, DC, East Siang district, who also acted as the moderator for the seminar, delivered the key-note address dwelling upon the historical aspect of the Adis as also their demographic profile. Shri borang detailed the Adis: Their strong village organization, the political administration through Kebang, as also the cultural education through the social institution of Musup and Raseng. Shri Borang observed that through the traditional Adi society might not have been literate in the modern sense, yet it was quite educated and duly equipped for life. The traditional education taught its adherents how to behave, act and sublimate oneself for the larger good of the society. Due to rapid mordernisation the Adi society was at a stage when its very survival was at stake. The DPYK institution brought about a few changes aimed at maintaining the continuity of traditions. The process is still on and would need to be strengthened, he observed. The keynote speaker expressed the hope that the seminar would fulfill the present and future needs of the society by evolving directions for the future.
Kumari Nivedita's velidictory address clarified certain misconceptions regarding the aspects of Dharma and religion as also the unavoidable need for symbols as guides to one's faith and aspirations. The internally organized Adi society has always been dharmic, was her observation. The traditional Adi outlook towards life has always been communal and not individual, she added. Quite unfortunately this healthy attitude is being replaced by the western notion of an atomic personality today. Yet the emergence and success of DPYK points to the evolutionary process in the Adi society which demonstrates that the Adi society is truly alive and vibrant. She hoped that the process which has started so meaningfully will be carried forward to its logical conclusion and yet again bring back the Adi society in harmony with its wider environment.