By Mariola Sequeira and Felix Anthony
Miao: Around 550 students from 22 schools of Arunachal Pradesh camped at one place for three days to showcase their cultural talents and acquaint with other tribes of the northeastern Indian state.
The September 24-26 cultural festival, popularly known as Radiance, was organized by the Newman Education Society (NES) that coordinates the educational apostolate of Miao diocese that covers the eastern part of the state.
Father Thomas Erambil, NES secretary, says the state has many tribes who live in isolated pockets because of poor transportation and communication facilities. The diocese began the program five years ago. “The annual event helps bring the tribes together. In the absence of such an event, the tribes would remain isolated,” the priest told Matters India.
The society holds sports and cultural festivals alternative years.
The latest festival was held at Light of the World School in Miao town in Changlang district.
Tirong Aboh, who represents the West Khonsa constituency in the state legislative assembly who addressed the opening program, lauded Christian missionaries’ contribution to educate the people of Arunachal Pradesh.
The legislator also noted that Bishop George Palliparampil of Miao and his team have done yeoman service to promote culture, local dialect, environment, healthcare and development in the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh. Radiance, he added, was a “fine example” the Church’s efforts to promote culture and education.
He also said he was proud to be part the Christian community. “There are many institutions in Arunachal Pradesh, but only Christian institutions serve with great dedication and commitment,” he asserted.
Mungtang Mossang, among the first Arunachali to receive Catholic education, says the Church’s educational apostolate has reached every village in the eastern part of his state. “Earlier we used to hunt for good schools in far way places but today it is like a good school has walked right into our door-step,” he added.
The NES recently undertook a survey on the effectiveness of the schools and hostels the diocese manages in the eight districts of east Arunachal Pradesh for the past 25 years.
The survey team comprising Father Erambil, Salesian Sister Jacinta and Divine Word Father Roy visited all schools and hostels to study the progress of education the Church has rendered for the past 25 years.
The multi-pronged survey studied every area of the life of students and staff, checked facilities available and implementation of various government schemes such as juvenile justice act 2000, right to free and compulsory education 2009, and prevention of children from sexual offences 2012.
The survey revealed that the NES caters to more than 16,000 students in its 46 schools.
It listed remoteness of places, their inaccessibility, landslides, and parents’ poverty as major challenges to education mission.
Bishop Palliparampil recalled that Church began its education mission 25 years ago in a temporary bamboo house, with no water, electricity where 28 boys in the hostel and 58 in school. The Salesian pioneer prelate said the early missionaries had to undergo physical and mental agony. “I feel it was all worth as we see two generations of young men and women climbing the ladder of life. It was a challenge, there were threats, elements of jealousy but faith and love helped us to surpass all those,” he added.
Nepha Wangsa, another past pupil of NES and gold medalist from Rajiv Gandhi University, said the remoteness of the villages and absence of good schools made hostels an absolute necessity. “Without these good hostels, we would have been left far behind in education,” he added.
The 62 hostels spread across the eight districts cater to 1,632 boys and 1,374 girls this year.
Toingam Wangpan, a tenth grader of the Light of the World school, said he has been attending the festival since 2015. At Radiance I have met friends of other schools and other tribes such as Tangsa and Nokte. “I am happy about it. I still keep in touch with them,” he told Matters India.
Sister Rose Abili, principal of Light of the World school, said a remote area like Miao manages to conduct “an event of this magnitude” because of team work and guidance from Bishop Palliparampil and heads of educational institutions.
The first Catholic school and hostel in Arunachal Pradesh were opened on July 3, 1992 in Borduria village in Tirap district. The land for it was offered by Wanglat James Lowangcha. Saint Mother Teresa visited the place on August 2, 1993. As the school and the number of children grew up, the school had to be shifted to a bigger facility to its present location and the Missionaries of Charity run a shelter for women at the original location today.