DIMAPUR, MAY 22 (NPN): Nagaland governor, Nand Kishore Yadav, on Friday stressed the urgent need to preserve and promote the tribal heritage of North East region amid growing challenges posed by globalization, modernization and technological advancement.
Yadav, who is the chief rector of Nagaland University (NU), was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a national seminar on “Revisiting Tribal Heritage of Northeast India: Challenges and Opportunities.” The event was organized by the School of Humanities and Education at NU’s Meriema Campus, Kohima.
Addressing the gathering, the governor lauded the Nagaland University for choosing a theme of great relevance to the cultural identity and social fabric of the region.
Yadav highlighted the extraordinary diversity of tribes, languages, traditions, customs and indigenous knowledge systems in Northeast India, describing this heritage as an invaluable part of India’s collective civilizational and cultural legacy.
The governor, however, voiced concern over the serious challenges posed by rapid globalization, modernization, urbanization and technological advancement to traditional institutions and cultural practices. He noted the gradual decline of indigenous languages, fading oral traditions and the growing disconnect of younger generations from their cultural roots.
“Preservation of heritage should not be viewed as resistance to progress, but as an effort to ensure that development remains culturally sensitive, inclusive and sustainable,” Yadav said.
He called upon academic institutions, researchers, policymakers and civil society organizations to collaborate in documenting, preserving, promoting and reinterpreting tribal heritage in ways relevant to contemporary society.
Yadav emphasized that NU could can play a transformative role by encouraging interdisciplinary studies, strengthening indigenous knowledge systems, promoting local languages and bridging traditional wisdom with modern scholarship.
He also appreciated the participation of scholars and experts from different parts of the country, saying such exchanges foster deeper understanding and meaningful policy discussions on tribal heritage and development in Northeast India.
The governor further remarked that tribal communities possessed immense traditional wisdom, particularly in environmental conservation, sustainable living, community harmony and coexistence with nature. The governor said that these knowledge systems offered valuable lessons for addressing many contemporary global challenges.
At the programme, NU vice chancellor, Prof. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, also delivered speech.
Earlier, NU Kohima Campus pro vice chancellor, Prof. N. Venuh, delivered welcome address, Prof. Jano S. Liegise, dean, humanities & education, gave keynote address while research scholar Thukuvelu Sakhamo presented folk song.
Concluding remarks were delivered by Prof. Pangersenla Walling, head, department of linguistics.
