Itanagar, Mar 14: The Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Mopin Festival began in the state capital on Saturday with the inauguration of sports activities at the Mopin Ground here, marking the start of a series of cultural and community events.
Chairman of the Sports Authority of Arunachal, John Neelam, attended the programme as the chief guest, while Capital Superintendent of Police Jummar Basar graced the occasion as the guest of honour. International bodybuilder Hilliang Yajik was present as the special guest.
Addressing the gathering, Neelam extended Mopin greetings to the people and lauded the community for preserving the spirit and traditions of the festival over the years.
He said the festival is not only a celebration of prosperity and happiness but also a reflection of the rich cultural heritage of the state. He also expressed happiness over the active participation of the younger generation in carrying forward these traditions.
SP Jummar Basar also conveyed his greetings and appreciated the organisers for successfully bringing the community together. He said festivals like Mopin help strengthen social harmony and remind people of the importance of their cultural roots and traditions.
Special guest Hilliang Yajik encouraged youths to actively participate in sports and cultural activities organised during the festival. He said such events provide a platform for young people to showcase their talents in different fields.
Providing details about the celebrations, chairman of the Mopin Festival Celebration Committee in Itanagar, Gumjum Haider, said the inaugural programme marked the official beginning of the Diamond Jubilee festivities.
He informed that several sports events and cultural competitions will be organised in the coming days as part of the celebrations.
Haider also said a “Ms Mopin” competition will be held during the festival. The contest will be open to participants from across Arunachal Pradesh who can speak the Galo language.
He added that the main objective of the competition is to promote and preserve the Galo dialect while encouraging wider participation in the cultural celebrations.
Haider further said that the Mopin festival celebrations are open to all communities and invited people from across the state to join and take part in the festivities.