ITANAGAR, Oct 15: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday urged the All Nyishi Youth Association (ANYA) to take a leading role in preserving the Nyishi language and culture, promoting tourism and empowering youth, as the organisation marked 50 years of its formation at Indira Gandhi Park here.
Addressing the concluding programme of ANYA’s Golden Jubilee celebration, which began on October 1, Khandu congratulated the association on completing five decades and acknowledged its role in guiding Nyishi youth through various challenges since its formation in 1976.
He welcomed the roadmap presented by ANYA president Jamru Ruja, particularly its focus on cultural and linguistic preservation, and assured the association of the state government’s support. He also endorsed its concern over the proliferation of organisations in Arunachal Pradesh, saying the issue warranted wider discussion among the state’s youth.
Describing the Nyishi as the state’s largest tribal community, spread across seven districts, Khandu said its size carried greater responsibility, as other communities looked to it as an elder brother. He acknowledged the Nyishi community’s contributions to the state’s political, social, cultural and economic development from the NEFA period through Union Territory status to Statehood, and paid tribute to its departed leaders and social workers.
The Chief Minister encouraged ANYA to identify tourism opportunities in Nyishi areas, prepare a roadmap in consultation with NGOs and submit it to the government for further development. Citing Tawang, the Ziro Festival of Music and Anini’s recognition as an emerging destination, he said tourism had become an important driver of growth across the state.
While noting that tourism development required public participation, he urged communities, elected representatives, Panchayati Raj institutions and district administrations to promote the spirit of Atithi Devo Bhava.
On cultural preservation, Khandu cautioned that smartphones, social media and artificial intelligence should remain tools for human progress rather than dictate people’s lives. He called on parents, elders and society to encourage analytical thinking among young people, adding that the responsibility of preserving the Nyishi language, traditions and customs rested primarily with the community and its younger generations.
He exhorted ANYA to organise brainstorming sessions with policymakers and elected representatives on youth empowerment. He also commended the All East Kameng Social Welfare and Cultural Organization (AEKSWCO) for reviewing the performance of legislators from time to time, describing the practice as a model of accountability for other communities.
Referring to the Vibrant Villages Programme, Khandu said remote areas were witnessing improved road connectivity and early signs of reverse migration. He also highlighted the need to develop local skills to reduce dependence on labour from outside the state.
Citing an example, he said 50 youths trained at a skill centre in Hyderabad completed a project in Pasighat for Rs 10 lakh, against an outside quotation of Rs 18 lakh.
Of the 10 skill centres functioning in the state, three are located in Nyishi areas, at Sagalee and Yupia, while an Industrial Training Institute at Koloriang is nearing completion. He invited ANYA and the All Nyishi Students’ Union to visit the centres and recommend additional trades based on local requirements.
Khandu also appealed to Nyishi entrepreneurs to invest in the capital region, pointing out that Itanagar still lacks a five-star hotel despite receiving visits from Union ministers, senior officials and foreign diplomats.
Announcing a new initiative for aspiring defence and paramilitary officers, he said the state government would sponsor coaching for young people seeking officer-level positions in the Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces from this year. After initial skilling with the Army, selected candidates would be placed in reputed coaching centres in Delhi or Pune, with the government bearing the fees. He said discussions had been held with the Army’s Three Corps and Four Corps, and observed that Nyishi youth remained under-represented in the officer cadre relative to their population.
The Chief Minister further announced that a Cell for the Arunachal Creative Economy would be established in the Chief Minister’s Office to help young people turn their creative abilities into livelihoods. The Institute for Transforming Arunachal (ITA), modelled on NITI Aayog, would also be established soon with a chief executive officer and subject specialists to advise the government on policy matters.
He highlighted the Arunachal Academic Excellence initiative, under which the state government bears scholarship costs for students admitted to universities ranked among the top 150 in the QS World University Rankings, and said more students, including from the Nyishi community, were joining the programme this year.
Stressing that government employment opportunities were limited, Khandu urged young people to become job creators rather than job seekers. He said the Arunachal Pradesh Entrepreneurship Development Programme, launched in 2021, had helped establish more than 150 startups, with its annual intake doubled to 100.
He also encouraged entrepreneurs to register under the MSME framework, saying the revised turnover limits for micro, small and medium enterprises offered greater scope to access institutional finance.