Itanagar: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday said that school textbooks should contain chapters on Arunachal Pradesh, its history and culture, so that students grow up knowing about their state and its past.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the book ‘Flights of Fantasy: Heroes of 1962 Indo-China War, Abu Tani’s Speaking Tree and other articles’, authored by Group Captain (Retd) Mohonto Pamging Pao, here, Khandu said about 80-90 percent of the people are not aware of the state’s history and its rich cultural diversity.
He said it’s his government’s priority that the younger generations are made aware of their own state and its cultural diversity from the very early stage.
“I have already instructed the education department to compile and introduce chapters on the state in the primary level to begin with,” he informed.
Further, informing that the general council meeting of NITI Aayog is scheduled for tomorrow which would be chaired by the Prime Minister,
Khandu also assured that he would urge for inclusion of the history and culture of the North Eastern Region in the NCERT syllabus in the general council meeting of NITI Aayog which is scheduled to be held on Saturday.
“If done, people from outside the region would come to know about the rich history and culture of the North East. Unfortunately, even today most of the people of other states are unaware of the NE, its contributions to the freedom struggle and its rich cultural diversity,” he said.
Lauding the author, Khandu observed that the book, which is a collection of articles on Arunachal Pradesh, unsung heroes of the 1962 war and folklores, would go a long way in educating not only people of the state but others to on Arunachal Pradesh and the NE.
Citing the recent laying of foundation stone of the memorial of Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khathing at Tawang, Khandu said till the time of the event, 90 percent of the people including those in Tawang were not aware of Bob Khathing or his contributions to Arunachal Pradesh.
“There would be many unsung heroes like Major Khathing, we need to honour them and write about them so that people recognise and appreciate their contributions to our history,” he said.
The Chief Minister assured Panging Pao that the state government will procure copies of the book and distribute to the state and all district libraries.
He requested the author to print at least 5000 copies of the book exclusively for the state government.
‘Flights of Fantasy: Heroes of 1962 Indo-China War, Abu Tani’s Speaking Tree and other articles’ contains 91 articles in 10 chapters penned by Panging Pao in five years. Most of his articles were earlier published in leading newspapers of the state.
The book release event was also attended by MLA Kaling Moyong, renowned authors and Padmashree awardees Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi and Mamang Dai, Adi Baane Kebang(ABK) president Gautam Borang and members of Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society (APLS). With agency inputs
