SEPPA, Nov 11: The Indigenous Faith Youth Festival 2026, organized by the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP), is all set to begin at the Seppa general ground here in East Kameng district tomorrow.
Preparations are in full swing as the three-day festival will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
As part of the final preparations, Mama Natung, Minister for Home, Public Health Engineering & Water Supply (PHE & WS) and Indigenous Affairs (DIA), and Ealing Tallang, MLA Seppa East, visited the festival venue and reviewed the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the mega cultural gathering. They were accompanied by Yashaswini B, Deputy Commissioner East Kameng; Shivendu Bhushan, Superintendent of Police East Kameng; and other officials and members of the organizing committee.
During the inspection, Natung inaugurated the selfie point bearing the message “We Love Our Indigenous Faith” at the festival ground. The selfie point is intended to serve as a symbolic expression of pride in indigenous identity, faith and cultural heritage.
Later in the afternoon, the MLA inaugurated the newly established Nyubu Namlo at Yartey Yarkum Nyubu Lapang, Seppa, followed by the traditional community huts set up by various Community-Based Indigenous Faith Organisations at the festival ground.
Emphasizing the importance of community ownership, the MLA called upon the Nyubus and participating communities to take collective responsibility for the upkeep, maintenance and effective utilisation of these assets. He also urged the Nyubus to ensure better participation and increased attendance in the programmes scheduled over the next three days.
Addressing the Nyubus, Likha Suraj, Director DIA, urged the Nyubus to obtain the Land Possession Certificate (LPC) for the Lapang to ensure legal protection of the land and prevent any form of encroachment in the future. He stressed that proper land documentation would help safeguard the community asset for posterity.
The community huts, representing indigenous communities from across Arunachal Pradesh, from Tawang to Longding, offer a glimpse into the distinctive lifestyles, traditions, customs, cultural practices and indigenous heritage of their respective communities. The stalls provide a common platform for showcasing the State’s rich cultural diversity, indigenous knowledge and community-specific traditions.
The programme was attended by Dr Emi Rumi, president IFCSAP; Dr Nabam Naka Hina, president NNMRI; Nyubu Chogi Effa, president AEKNWA; and Karya Bagang, former MLA, among others.
Organized under the theme “Echoes of the Ancestors, Voice of the Future” and the motto “My Faith, My Soul”, the festival seeks to provide a shared platform for indigenous youth and communities to celebrate their cultural heritage, uphold traditional values and reaffirm their collective commitment to the preservation and promotion of indigenous faith and culture.