The International Mother Languages Day is celebrated globally on 21st February every year to promote and protect the linguistic and cultural diversities in the world. The event was organized by the RIWATCH Centre for Mother Languages (RCML) in collaboration with Kasturba Gandhi Institute of Higher Education (KGIHE).

Dr. Mechek Sampar Awan, Coordinator, RCML expressed his concerns about the gradual language shift taking place in Arunachal Pradesh. He asserted that speaking one’s mother language is one of the most effective ways to save the language. He also spoke on how and why we should promote and revitalise our mother languages.

During the event, an award-winning documentary called “The Songs We Sing, The Drums We Beat” was also screened. While interacting with the gathering, the director of the film and RCML’s research officer, Dr. Kombong Darang, said that the film aims not only to promote and preserve the culture and language of the Kaasik (Nocte) community but also to propagate awareness about the importance of promoting and revitalizing all the endangered and lesser-known languages and cultures of the state.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Kailash Chandra Pradhan, Principal, KGIHE stated that the language played the most crucial role in the intergenerational transmission of cultural heritage. The Executive Director of Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions Cultures and Heritage (RIWATCH) said that the language and culture are like two inseparable faces of a coin. He asserted that the rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh could be revived only by reviving the mother languages. He also presented copies of the pictorial glossary books published by the RCML to the Principal of KGIHE.