Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu Wednesday said the state government is committed to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous communities of the state and hailed Tibetan settlers for maintaining cordial relations with them.
The Tibetan settlers have preserved their rich Buddhist culture, tradition and language and the local indigenous communities have learnt from them in keeping alive their own traditional textile and handloom, language and rich culture, he said at the golden jubilee celebration of Sambhota Tibetan School at Tenzing Gang in West Kameng district, over 300 km from here.
Khandu said the responsibility of preserving the culture and tradition of the indigenous communitites lies more with today's generation of elders, seniors and parents. Tenzing Gang is one of the three official Tibetan settlements in Arunachal Pradesh. The other two settlements are in Tezu (Lohit) and Miao (Changlang).
Khandu appreciated the school management for imparting quality education and producing bright students, who are today contributing in the country’s growth, a CMO communiqué informed here.
“This is indeed an incredible journey of Sambhota Tibetan School since 1972. The institution is doing great work, especially focusing on education of girls, the Tibetan community and local Arunachalis,” he said.
“I make it a point to visit the Tibetan settlements whenever on tour. I have visited both the settlements in eastern Arunachal and found that the indigenous communities around these settlements have benefitted from the Tibetans,” he said.
Khandu assured that the state government will do everything necessary for the school and the area and asked the district administration to study and submit proposals officially to the government.
Referring to a message from the Dalai Lama, he said "Our focus should be on inculcating compassion and human values in our children. And also teach them about the significance of our environment, climate and our planet,” he said.
Earlier, on arrival at the Tenzing Gang Monastery, Khandu felicitated its abbot Sharpa Choeje Rinpoche and sought his blessings for the development of Arunachal Pradesh and prosperity of its people.
(With PTI Inputs)
