Adi Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh

About the Book Arunachal Pradesh- the abode of Adi group of tribes is the land of rising sun or the land of the dawn lit mountains and a part of eastern Himalayan ranges situated on the northern-east tip of India and borders Bhutan, China, Mayanmar and the State of Assam. The ever green wooded forests with streams, rivers meandering through mountains offer the cooling tranquility and scenic beauties where every morning the sunrise spreads its golden carpet first. The Adi are divided into a number of groups such as Minyong, Karko, Shimong, Janbo, Pangis, Pailibos, Bogum, Padams, Milangs etc. The Adis by nature are democratic and have organised village council called Kebang.

Their traditional dance called Ponung' is famous in the whole Arunachal Pradesh. Adi villages are situated generally on the spurs of hills. Polyandry is unknown but polygamy is practised.

It is only in 16th century, the history of Arunachal Pradesh gained coherence from the legends and traditions under the rules of Ahom Kings of Assam. Originally known as North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) it came under the control of the British when they subjugated Assam from the Ahom Kings. The British declared the place as off-limits in 1873 till the eve of world war II. Following independence of India, the Government prepared the tribes to cope up with the modern world and introduced village democracy in preparation of a statewide legislation. In 1971 NEFA was re named to Arunachal Pradesh and in 1972 it became a union territory. On 20" February 1987, it was declared as the 24th State of the Indian Union.

About the Authors Dr. S.H.M. Rizvi, Ph. D (Delhi University) has been engaged in bio anthropological researches since 1986. His involvement in various research projects enabled him to conduct field work in the remotest areas of Western and North-Eastern India and study various tribes and communities living in the arid zone of Barmer districts of Rajasthan to human groups living in hilly inhospitable forests of Manipur bordering Burma.

Dr. Shibani Roy, Ph. D. (Delhi University) is actively engaged in field base empirical research among the Muslims of Northern and Western India besides doing field work-oriented research on tribes of Western and North-eastern India.

Preface The natural resources of a country and its cultural heritage belongs to its people. Each individual has a right over it and they are also vested with the responsibility to understand appreciate and practice it for its conservation. Cultural heritage conceptually is a term which encompasses entire cultural environment with landscapes, historical the enti places, art forms, celebrations, biodiversity, collections, the traditional and continuing cultural practices, knowledge. wisdom and living experiences. All these are achieved over a long process of historic development forming the essene of a highly diversified national, regional, indigenous and local specificities which becomes an integral part of contemporary living. Thus, it is a collection of dynamic referral points and positive instrument for growth and change. Heritage along with collective memory are area based or community based which are irreplaceable and form the main bulwark for present and future development. India is a country which portrays variety of cultural norms and practices reflecting its diversity and character.

Tourists in thousands through all the six seasons flock here not for the airports, hotels, recreational facilities, gambling havens, geographic locations, palaces, temples and the people. Each of the above mentioned aspects of tourism in India is much below the mark of world standard. Other countries have better infrastructural and logistic support for comfort of the tourists, Popularity of India in world tourism is because of its vibrant culture and still alive cultural heritage which are manifested in the mundane affairs of the people in their day to day living style: whether they are Hindu, non-Hindu or tribal. All these collectively is an aspect.

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