Guwahati: Besides their commitments of ensuring peace and security in sensitive Longding district of Arunchal Pradesh, the Assam Rifles has taken several initiatives in the past to encourage Wancho tribe to revive and preserve their unique ethnicity.
The Wancho inhabited Longding district has several pioneers and culture enthusiasts who have been working selflessly for years to preserve their unique identity.
Banwang Losu, a Kamhua Noknyu village based linguist who is heading Wancho Literary Mission is a little known icon who has worked tirelessly over a decade to create Wancho script.
In a collective effort, Wancho Literary Mission and Assam Rifles are organising a month long Pedagogic workshop for the young generation of Wanchos with effect from April 24, 2023 in Pongchao vill, a Circle headquarter of Longding district.
“The workshop is an endeavour to teach native language to over 100 young boys and girls of the district. Besides teaching the phonetics, the Wancho Literary Mission staff are involved in preparing grammer content, creating e-dictionary of Wancho language and compiling folk stories and folk songs in Wancho language,” said Banwang Losu.
On Saturday evening the Assam Rifles Jazz Band organised an amusing musical evening for the functionaries of Wancho Literary Mission and students who have been diligently involved in literary work for past one month to revive, preserve and patronize their native language.
Besides entertainment, the musical extragavanza was an endeavour to encourage Wancho youth to revive and rejoice their traditional folk songs, lullabies and ethnic dance form.
During the musical evening, the exhuberant boys and girls sung folk songs and deuts on the tunes of talented musicians of Assam Rifles Band.
Dressed in traditional attires, the excited students performed their traditional folk dance with zest and fervour.
The glittering function was attended by vill auth and members of youth organisations of Pongchao village. Such gestures from Assam Rifles, which is essentially a border guarding force is indeed a very welcome step.
Relatedly, the superlative efforts of Banwang Losu and his team to revive the native language is praiseworthy and worth emulation by other tribes of the region.
The Pedagogic workshop is expected to conclude on May 30, 2023 in Longding.
During the closing ceremony, Wancho Literary Mission is expect to disclose the literary content prepared by them during the month long workshop.